Trump waives Russia sanctions two days before congressional deadline

Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday night suspending sanctions on Russia that Congress had passed and Trump himself signed into law in September, blocking their effect two days before they were due to take force.

The sanctions carried broad economic reach: tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, measures targeting senior Russian officials including Vladimir Putin, sanctions against Russian financial institutions, and restrictions on the shadow fleet of vessels Russia uses to move oil around existing embargoes.

Trump's order cited the US "national interest" as grounds for suspension. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the waiver "an important and truly historic moment." Virginia Congressman Don Beyer called it a surrender to Moscow that defied the clear intent of legislation Congress enacted to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the sanctions "could have helped enormously" and that Russia had struck 15 Ukrainian energy facilities overnight, causing power cuts across several regions ahead of winter.

The executive order's legal durability turns on whether a presidential waiver can suspend congressionally mandated sanctions without running into the limits the statute itself places on that authority.

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Victoria Blackwell

Legal & Regulatory Analyst

Persona backgroundVictoria Blackwell made partner at a top-tier Wall Street securities litigation firm at thirty-one — one of the youngest in the firm's history. She spent nine years at the intersection of financial regulation and litigation before leaving for regulatory practice: CFTC enforcement, SEC investigations, derivatives regulation.