Trump Waives Graham Act Russia Sanctions, Drawing Bipartisan Outrage and Zelenskyy Condemnation

President Trump invoked the Graham Act's national-interest waiver to suspend sweeping new sanctions on Russian goods and major Russian energy buyers just two days before the law's implementation deadline, signing an executive order Friday that declared the move "is in the national interests of the United States." The decision drew immediate bipartisan condemnation in Congress and prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call the waiver wrong and warn that it undercuts international pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy described the move as a "financial reward for Putin," arguing it would encourage Russia to continue its attacks on Ukraine. The waiver follows a separate, earlier easing of sanctions on Russian diesel exports, and a Russian envoy praised the decision while lawmakers from both parties pushed back. Trump doubled down, calling it a "very good decision."

The sanctions dispute is one of several controversies surrounding Trump in the same period. Reuters reported he declined to rule out declaring a national emergency related to the 2026 midterm elections, a prospect legal experts said could trigger litigation, confusion and certification delays. A Reuters investigation also found that Trump's moves to reverse what he calls politically motivated prosecutions carry risks for public accountability, according to former prosecutors and legal experts. European observers, including Euronews Brussels editor Maria Tadeo, have argued that Trump is scapegoating Zelenskyy ahead of the midterms for domestic political reasons.