President Donald Trump on Oct. 18 announced he had waived several Russia-related sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, directing officials to conduct a 60-day review of their economic impact. The waiver, signed via executive order on Oct. 17, temporarily suspends penalties on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, as well as tariffs on Russian goods, which were set to take effect the following week.
The move follows a separate agreement announced by Trump on Oct. 9, in which the U.S. secured a deal with Russia to increase diesel supplies to global markets, including the United States, aimed at easing fuel price pressures. Under the arrangement, Russia committed to supplying 3 million tons of diesel, with additional deliveries contingent on refinery conditions. Trump framed both actions as necessary to maintain Russia’s participation in peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine, stating in a Truth Social post that he did not want to "drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the sanctions waiver and diesel deal, calling them a "historic mistake" and "big support" for Russian President Vladimir Putin during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Oct. 19. Zelenskyy argued that easing sanctions would strengthen Putin’s war effort by signaling Western weakness, stating, "Strengthening Putin’s war against us because he feels success." He also accused Zelenskyy of targeting Russian diesel refineries, which he claimed were harming global diesel markets, including those in the U.S. Zelenskyy reiterated these concerns in a separate interview with BBC News, calling the diesel deal "very dangerous" and warning it could erase discussions on Russian gas and frozen assets.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent countered Zelenskyy’s remarks, asserting in the same Meet the Press interview that no sanctions were lifted—only the embargo on Russian diesel was suspended. Bessent also argued that European nations, rather than the U.S., were financing Russia’s war machine, stating, "The Europeans are financing the Russian war machine."
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who was traveling in Uzbekistan on Oct. 18, confirmed that Trump had opted for a 60-day review period to evaluate the economic consequences of the waived measures. Rubio defended the diesel supply agreement, stating, "That diesel is going to be sold one way or the other. The only difference is how much of it the United States was going to get."
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the sanctions waiver, calling it "an important and truly historic moment" and asserting that the original sanctions would have caused "serious damage" to U.S. and global markets. Dmitriev’s remarks were reported by BBC News on Oct. 18.
Trump’s actions have intensified tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Zelenskyy, addressing an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Oct. 17, remarked that it was "nice to be among real leaders" following Trump’s characterization of him as "more difficult to deal with" than Putin. Ukraine has also accused the U.S. of withdrawing key military support amid the dispute. In response, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine retains the right to defend itself after Trump described recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries as a "disgrace."