Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions and Tariffs Days Before They Were to Take Effect Breaking News · U.S. Foreign Policy · Russia–Ukraine War · Sanctions · Presidential Power · North Carolina · DINA Analysis By Professor Dr. Lent C. Carr, II, Ph.D. Chief Editor | Investigative Journalist | Political Analyst Democracy Independent News Association (DINA) Published: 2026-10-17 Original: https://www.dinanews247.press/articles/trump-russia-sanctions-waiver-october-17 Rubio says Trump will use a 60-day period to assess the economic effects of the waived Graham Act penalties, while the executive order itself sets no automatic expiration date. Breaking News · U.S. Foreign Policy · Russia–Ukraine War · Sanctions · Presidential Power · North Carolina · DINA Analysis UPDATED — October 18, 2026, 1:11 a.m. ET: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump intends to use a 60-day period to assess the economic effects of the Russia-related sanctions and tariffs waived under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. The clarification supplies a review horizon that was absent from the executive order, but it does not itself create an automatic expiration date for the waivers. WASHINGTON — October 17, 2026, 5:34 p.m. ET: Trump waived major sanctions, restrictions and import duties that Congress ordered under the law, suspending much of the new pressure on Russia and buyers of Russian energy just before the measures were scheduled to take effect. Confirmed: The White House published the executive order dated October 16. It says Trump submitted a certification and explanatory report to Congress asserting that the waivers are in the national interests of the United States. The order invokes waiver authority contained in section 115 of the law; it does not claim Congress's sanctions provisions were repealed. Legal effect: The order waives duties authorized by sections 112 and 113 and sanctions or restrictions under numerous other sections of the Graham Act. The waived tariff provisions included a 500-percent duty on Russian goods and 100-percent duties aimed at major importers of Russian oil and gas and leading facilitators of Russian oil-sanctions evasion. The order says the waivers remain in effect until the president or designated cabinet officials determine that further action is appropriate. Important limitation: The order states that it does not disturb Russia-related sanctions already operating under earlier executive orders tied to a national emergency continued in March. The action therefore suspends much of the new Graham Act framework; it does not erase every existing U.S. sanction on Russia. Rubio describes a 60-day review Speaking to reporters late Saturday at Joint Base Andrews, Rubio said the president wants to use “the 60-day period of time” to analyze what the sanctions and tariffs would mean for the U.S. and global economies, Reuters reported. Rubio pointed specifically to the law's secondary tariffs on countries that import Russian energy, including U.S. partner India. Trump separately told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that he had not announced a final decision. His remark and Rubio's explanation indicate that the administration views the waiver as a policy review rather than a settled abandonment of the Graham Act penalties. Legal distinction: The published executive order does not say the waivers automatically end after 60 days. Section 4(d) says they remain in effect until the president or designated officials determine that further action is appropriate. Unless the White House issues a new order or determination, Rubio's 60-day statement is an announced review period—not a self-executing deadline that restores the sanctions. Congressional and Ukrainian reaction Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the decision wrong and said it would encourage further Russian aggression, Reuters reported. Russia's investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the waiver as a historic moment for economic cooperation. Those are political assessments by interested governments, not independent findings about what the waiver will cause. The congressional response crossed party lines. The Associated Press reported that North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called the decision “beyond irresponsible” and questioned why the administration would decline to enforce a measure the Senate approved 86–11. Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic lawmakers also criticized the move. The Graham Act became law on September 18. According to the White House order and Reuters, it directed sanctions and steep tariffs intended to pressure Russia and countries sustaining its energy revenue, while also giving the president broad waiver authority after notifying Congress. What the order does not explain publicly The published order says the waiver serves the national interest but does not reproduce the administration's full explanatory report to Congress. It does not quantify an expected effect on U.S. fuel prices, identify negotiated Russian concessions, set measurable conditions for restoring the penalties or establish a public expiration date. Rubio's 60-day explanation narrows the expected decision window but leaves those evidentiary gaps unresolved. The administration has not publicly identified the economic benchmarks it will use, the date on which the review began, or whether the president will issue a formal determination at the end of the period. Reuters reported that higher energy prices and concern about the economic effect of sanctions were part of the wider policy debate. That context is not the same as a documented finding that the waiver will lower prices. The administration's underlying certification and economic analysis are essential to testing the claim. Why it matters The action delays a major instrument of congressional pressure on Russia during continuing attacks on Ukraine. It also reduces the immediate tariff threat facing large purchasers of Russian oil and gas, including countries that had objected to the law's reach. For North Carolina readers, the dispute places one of the state's U.S. senators publicly against a president of his own party on war, energy prices and enforcement of a bipartisan federal law. It also raises a constitutional accountability question: Congress enacted the sanctions but included the waiver the president used. DINA editorial analysis This section is DINA's progressive editorial analysis, not a statement of independently established fact. A national-interest waiver should be accompanied by a public, testable account of the benefit the country receives. If the administration believes suspended pressure will lower fuel costs or advance negotiations, it should publish the assumptions, price modeling, diplomatic commitments and conditions for reversal. The order's broad, open-ended structure shifts the practical decision from Congress's timetable to executive discretion. That may be authorized by the statute, but legality does not eliminate the need for oversight. Lawmakers who voted for a broad waiver provision now share responsibility for examining how it was used. Relief for Russia should not be treated as an abstract market adjustment while Russian attacks continue killing civilians and damaging energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Any future relief should be connected to verifiable conduct—such as a sustained halt to attacks, compliance monitoring and humanitarian access—not merely assurances from either government. Strongest accountability questions Will the White House release the certification and report submitted to Congress under section 115? What specific national-interest findings support waiving each category of sanction, restriction and duty? What price, supply or inflation analysis predicts the waiver's effect on U.S. consumers? Did Russia offer any enforceable concession in exchange for the suspension? What objective conditions would cause the president or cabinet officials to restore the measures? Which existing Russia sanctions remain fully operative, and which entities would otherwise have been designated? Will Congress hold public hearings before returning after Election Day? What is the exact start and end date of the 60-day review, and will its conclusion be published? Urgent records and follow-up requests Request the complete section 115 certification and national-interest report transmitted to Congress. Obtain Treasury, State, Energy and U.S. Trade Representative memoranda supporting or opposing the waivers. Seek lists of entities, banks, energy traders, vessels and countries that would have faced action absent the order. Request economic models estimating fuel-price, trade, tariff and inflation effects. Obtain congressional correspondence, hearing requests and any proposed legislation limiting or reversing the waiver. Sources The White House — Executive Order implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, October 16, 2026 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/10/implementing-the-lindsey-o-graham-sanctioning-russia-and-iran-act-of-2026/) Reuters — Zelenskyy criticizes Trump's waiver of sanctions on Russia as “wrong,” October 17, 2026 (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-waives-many-russia-related-sanctions-tariffs-before-they-were-take-effect-2026-10-17/) Associated Press — Trump's decision to waive Russian sanctions outrages Congress, October 17, 2026 (https://apnews.com/article/trump-sanctions-waiver-russa-putin-ukraine-war-3cc9740c39e9e9eb713b1c553b5709e6) Reuters — Rubio says Trump to take up to 60 days to weigh Russia sanctions, October 18, 2026 (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rubio-says-trump-take-up-60-days-weigh-russia-sanctions-2026-10-18/) Related DINA reporting Trump Calls Ukraine's Refinery Strikes a ‘Disgrace,’ Intensifying Pressure on Kyiv (https://www.dinanews247.press/articles/trump-ukraine-refinery-strikes-pressure-october-16) Putin Places Five Western-Owned Russian Businesses Under State-Appointed Management (https://www.dinanews247.press/articles/russia-western-assets-temporary-management-october-16) Putin Says 410-Mile ‘Security Zone’ Inside Ukraine Is Off-Limits to Peace Talks (https://www.dinanews247.press/articles/putin-ukraine-security-zone-october-16) REPUBLICATION NOTICE Original DINA-authored text may be republished without charge under the terms at https://www.dinanews247.press/syndication#terms. Third-party material and images require separate permission. SOCIAL POST Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions and Tariffs Days Before They Were to Take Effect Rubio says Trump will use a 60-day period to assess the economic effects of the waived Graham Act penalties, while the executive order itself sets no automatic expiration date. Breaking News · U.S. Foreign Policy · Russia–Ukraine War · Sanctions · Presidential Power · North Carolina · DINA Analysis By Professor Dr. Lent C. Carr, II, Ph.D. Chief Editor | Investigative Journalist | Political Analyst Democracy Independent News Association (DINA) Read the full report and sources: https://www.dinanews247.press/articles/trump-russia-sanctions-waiver-october-17 #DINA #PublicAccountability