Trump pauses new Russia sanctions passed by Congress amid deepening row with Ukraine
President signed the legislation championed by late senator Lindsey Graham last month but has waived the restrictions as they were due to come into effect.
Donald Trump has put on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause on the legislation passed by both chambers was in the national interest.
No, it wasn’t in the national interest. It was in Trump’s personal interest, which always has come before national interest.
In an executive order on Friday, the US president said he was waiving many sanctions, restrictions and duties on Russia, in a move that comes as he has been publicly criticising Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader.
The move was greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who wrote on social media: “The Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment.”
This is a low point for America. Big Russia attacks little Ukraine, and America sides with Russia. What a disgrace.
No American can be proud of what this president is doing for his own financial gain.
We now will see whether the Republican Party will continue to go along with this dishonor for Ameria.
The president has face widespread criticism after making the announcement, with a dozen US senators – including six Republicans – calling on Trump to rescind his diesel deal.
A letter from the bipartisan group of lawmakers sent on Tuesday urged Trump to execute the sanctions authorities included in the legislation passed last month, called the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”.
Zelenskyy said on Friday the diesel deal would mean cash “will start flowing back into Russia”, as he met European leaders in Brussels.
Trump blindsided Zelenskyy last weekend by announcing that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities. Facing midterm elections next month, Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for pushing up energy prices that could cost his Republican party its thin majorities in the US Senate and House of Representatives.
Trump blames Ukraine for defending themselves against the aggressor. What nation would trust America, now?
Who could even admire America, now?
I am so ashamed of us. I cannot imagine any patriotic American voting Republican at this stage. It is an absolute humiliation.
Trump is in bed with Putin because:
- Putin has something on him — damning videos of Trump with women — something in that vein, and
- Putin has promised to make Trump richer with Trump Tower Moscow, Trump casinos, and other Trump enrichments. That is why Putin backed Trump in every election.
This is the most blatant in a long list of Trump’s traitorous grifting. The Republican Party has sunk to a new low. It now officially is the Communist Party of Russia.
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
