WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s decision to indefinitely waive sanctions on Russia, just days before they were scheduled to take effect, sparked bipartisan fury Saturday. Congress had approved the measures by an overwhelming margin, signaling broad U.S. support for Ukraine as it continues its war with Russia.
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the executive order issued late Friday, saying it marked the latest in a series of moves bringing Trump’s administration closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has also announced a diesel agreement with Putin to import Russian energy, a long-shot attempt to ease surging U.S. fuel prices ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“Beyond irresponsible,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on social media. His comments came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced hope that the sanctions targeting Russia’s economy, which were set to begin Sunday, could still be reinstated.
“What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?” Tillis asked. “It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine.”
Tillis argued that Trump should address the Iran war, which has been widely blamed for the jump in gasoline prices, if he wants to lower costs for Americans — rather than “doing a solid for Vladimir Putin.”
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said the late Sen. Lindsey Graham “would be appalled.” Graham, R-S.C., had spent months working on the legislation before his death this summer. The measure is named the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Act.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., accused Trump of “thumbing his nose” at Congress and “enabling Vladimir Putin to continue his war of aggression.” She called on lawmakers to act against the administration’s decision.
The policy shift comes as Ukraine prepares for another difficult winter under continued Russian attacks on its power infrastructure, threatening the electricity and heating systems that keep homes warm. Zelenskyy, whose relationship with Trump has been strained at times but who has maintained close ties with U.S. lawmakers, urged supporters to push for the sanctions to move forward.
What Congress can do next remains unclear. The House and Senate are away from Washington until after Election Day, making an immediate response unlikely. Trump said he was suspending the sanctions indefinitely on national security grounds, and lawmakers may not be able to challenge the decision until they return.
Skeptics in Congress warned Trump would not follow the law
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Graham spent nearly a year persuading Trump to support the sanctions package. The law was designed to impose steep tariffs on countries buying significant quantities of Russian oil and energy products, with the goal of cutting off revenue that has helped finance Putin’s four-year war against Ukraine.
Even after Zelenskyy watched from the Senate visitor gallery as lawmakers advanced the package following Graham’s death, congressional critics questioned whether Trump would enforce it. Their doubts intensified after he signed the legislation into law a month ago.
Last week, a bipartisan group of senators pressed the Trump administration to accelerate pressure on Moscow, including action against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers. The vessels are used to move oil while evading U.S. sanctions. The senators emphasized that most of the new law was scheduled to take effect Sunday.
Trump instead unveiled the diesel agreement with Putin, saying Russia would provide tons of fuel to the United States. Gas prices have surged in parts of the country, and voters have ranked affordability among their leading concerns.
Outraged lawmakers have vowed to block the Trump-Putin agreement.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced legislation Friday to stop the diesel deal. Meeks had opposed the Graham sanctions bill and warned at the time that Trump would ignore the law. “At a time when the United States should be increasing pressure on the Kremlin, Donald Trump is cozying up to Putin and striking self-enriching deals instead of standing with Ukraine,” Meeks said in a statement.
Meeks called the agreement “corrupt” and said it “goes against everything the United States stands for.”
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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