Trump waives several Russia sanctions as new US law takes effect

What the report says

US President Donald Trump has used executive authority to waive or block parts of a new sanctions law targeting Russia, saying some measures would not serve US national interests. The move affects legislation passed by Congress and signed by Trump in September, which was set to take effect on Sunday and is aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

According to BBC World News, the law gives the White House wide leeway to impose steep tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India, and also covers sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions and the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to evade existing restrictions. Trump’s decision comes amid broader debate in Washington over how hard to press Russia while also managing energy prices and wider diplomatic fallout.

The timing has added to political tension in the US. Days earlier, Trump said the US would import Russian diesel, a proposal that drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties. A bipartisan group of 20 members of Congress had already urged the administration to apply the law fully and without delay. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also criticized the diesel idea, saying it would effectively support a war effort that should be ended. The issue matters because sanctions remain one of the main tools Western governments are using to weaken Russia’s economy and influence the course of the conflict.