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Geopolitics · Europe

Trump waives new Russia sanctions under national-interest provision

i24NEWS reported that President Donald Trump waived new U.S. sanctions on Russia; the available source excerpt does not provide further details about the decision or its rationale.

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What happened

Key facts

  • Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving new sanctions against Russia (per i24news.tv, Axios, The Wall Street Journal).
  • The legislation passed Congress last month and was intended to curb funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine (per i24news.tv).
  • Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and co-author of the legislation, criticized Trump’s decision and said the waivers were unrelated to U.S. national security (per i24news.tv).

The brief

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving new sanctions against Russia, i24NEWS reported. The order invokes a provision that allows the president to set aside the measures on national-interest grounds.

The Wall Street Journal’s headline characterized the action as waiving “most” of the sanctions passed by Congress, while the other headlines described the move as a waiver or a hold on new sanctions. According to i24NEWS, the order does not set a fixed expiry for the waivers. The outlet also reported that earlier sanctions remain in place.

The article does not specify which provisions the order waives or give a date for when the waivers would end. The legislation passed Congress last month, the outlet said, with the stated aim of curbing funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine. It was named after Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July.

The legislation targeted Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions, and included provisions for steep tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who co-authored the legislation, condemned Trump’s decision, according to i24NEWS.

Blumenthal said the waivers had no connection to U.S. national security and accused Trump of “sucking up” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also urged Republican colleagues to join him in denouncing the action.

The order’s national-interest justification and Blumenthal’s criticism are distinct positions in the account: the order uses national-interest grounds, while Blumenthal disputes that national security explains the waivers. The article provides no additional explanation from Trump for the decision.

The reported action changes the status of the new measures but does not, according to i24NEWS, remove earlier sanctions. The outlet’s account leaves the waivers without a specified end date and does not detail the provisions affected. Blumenthal’s public criticism is the response described in the article.

Why it matters

  • The waiver limits the immediate reach of legislation designed to cut funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine, leaving Russian entities covered by the new measures able to avoid their effects for now. It also gives the White House discretion over when sanctions take effect, weakening Congress’s ability to make economic pressure on Moscow automatic and predictable. That uncertainty matters to Ukraine and to businesses and governments assessing the costs of dealings with Russia.

What to watch next

  • Whether Trump or his administration specifies which sanctions the executive order waives.
  • Whether the waivers receive an expiry date; i24NEWS says the order sets no fixed end date.
  • Whether Republican colleagues join Blumenthal in condemning the decision, as he urged them to do.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Mixed· 1 Left · 2 Center · 2 Right
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 60% · Middle East 20% · Other 20%
Outlet political mix
Mixed
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
2 outlets
2 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
How we measure coverage

One source is from a wire service (AP, Reuters, AFP or Bloomberg), whose reporting other outlets often republish.

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. In February 2014, after Ukraine’s president fled amid mass protests, Russian forces took control of Crimea.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Russia formally annexed the peninsula in March 2014, a move the United States and most other countries rejected as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. The Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russian officials and others after Russia took control of Crimea.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Congress expanded the U.S. sanctions framework in 2017 through the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, prompted a much broader international response.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. In December 2022, a coalition led by the G7 and the European Union introduced a price cap on Russian seaborne oil, alongside restrictions on services such as shipping and insurance.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed a proposed pause in attacks on energy infrastructure, and the White House said Putin had agreed to it.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bipartisan bill proposing sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries buying Russian oil.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  9. The legislation at issue in this event was passed by Congress in September 2026, according to the reports cited in the event account, and was described as intended to curb funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
    Background · from our historical context
  10. President Donald Trump signed the Graham Act, which included sanctions and tariffs intended to increase pressure on Russia.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

U.S. sanctions on Russia developed in stages as Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and its broader confrontation with Western governments changed. In February 2014, after Ukraine’s president fled amid mass protests, Russian forces took control of Crimea.

Russia formally annexed the peninsula in March 2014, a move the United States and most other countries rejected as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Fighting also began in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.

Related developments2 stories

Original sources

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