Trump waives Russia oil duties after diesel agreement with Putin

Donald Trump waived provisions of the Graham Act that would have imposed sanctions, restrictions and duties connected to Russia and buyers of its oil and gas. The executive order cited U.S. national interests, and Trump said he had certified that basis to Congress.

The act had passed both chambers with overwhelming support, according to the New York Post, before Trump signed it into law last month. The waived measures included duties of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas and tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods, the New York Post and iHeartRadio reported.

The Times of India described the law as covering major buyers that included India and China, while the New York Post characterized the duty provision as applying to the largest importers of Russian oil and gas.

The Hill’s headline likewise reported that Trump waived sanctions outlined in the act before they took effect; NDTV’s headline highlighted the potential 100% tariffs on India. The order came shortly before the provisions were scheduled to take effect on Sunday, according to the New York Post and iHeartRadio.

The Times of India also reported that Trump acted days before several provisions were due to begin. The coverage identifies the timing and the waiver but does not describe a separate action that triggered it; the reported link is instead between the waiver and the diesel arrangement with Russia.

Trump said Russia would provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by another 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons “immediately thereafter,” and 3 million tons “within a short period of time.” The New York Post reported those quantities as Trump’s statement. iHeartRadio described the waiver as following an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release Russian diesel into the global market amid rising diesel prices.

The New York Post also reported Trump’s diesel announcement, but its account does not describe the agreement with Putin. The stated U.S. rationale was national interest. iHeartRadio reported that Trump confirmed sending Congress a report required by the act, while the report’s explanation of how the waiver served U.S. interests had not been made public.

The New York Post likewise said Trump certified to Congress that the waiver was in the national interest. The coverage therefore records the administration’s stated justification but does not provide the report’s underlying explanation. The waiver drew criticism from Senator Richard Blumenthal, who called it a “craven, cowardly action,” according to iHeartRadio.

The outlet also reported that Representative Don Bacon said the decision would prolong the war in Ukraine. These are lawmakers’ assessments, not established consequences in the reporting. The sources do not establish what effect the waiver or diesel shipments will have on the war or fuel markets.

The immediate points to track are the diesel quantities Trump said Russia would supply, the report to Congress and the provisions the order suspended. The sources do not provide a public account of the report’s reasoning, and they do not document whether the promised fuel deliveries have occurred.

The measure leaves the stated U.S. national-interest rationale, lawmakers’ objections and the reported diesel arrangement at the center of the dispute.