US President Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia and buyers of its oil and gas, signed into law last month, has drawn bipartisan condemnation for undermining Ukraine and rewarding Moscow.
01Summary
- 01Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving sanctions against Russia and countries buying its oil and gas, saying it was in the US national interest.
- 02Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the move 'beyond irresponsible' and accused the administration of capitulating to President Putin.
- 03The legislation, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would have allowed tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries buying Russian oil or helping Moscow evade sanctions.
- 04Trump recently agreed to buy Russian diesel to lower US fuel prices amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, which politicians from both parties questioned as unlikely to meaningfully reduce costs.
- 05Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said easing pressure on Russia encourages further attacks, urging the US to maintain sanctions.
02Why it matters
This matters because it weakens the pressure on Russia for its war in Ukraine and could embolden further aggression, while also raising energy-policy and legislative conflicts between the White House and Congress ahead of midterm elections.
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