Trump puts new Russia sanctions passed Congress on hold, saying waiver is in US interest

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order that puts on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause was in the national interest.

Trump had signed the legislation last month. Named after late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the measure had sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling the war against Ukraine.

The move comes a week after Trump stunningly said the U.S. had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try and bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Trump administration has remained mostly quiet since the recent passage of the bill with large bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate after Graham's sudden death — with lawmakers urged ahead by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump's latest action followed the president announcing on social media last week that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in which he was expected to discuss a suspected case of plague in Russia.

Instead, Trump announced that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter." Russia will deliver an additional 3 million tons "within a short period of time" after that, he wrote.