Trump defends pausing new Russia sanctions as Zelenskyy, senators of both parties object
President Trump signed an executive order Friday, Oct. 16, putting on hold new Russia sanctions in the Lindsey Graham Act, saying it serves the “national interests of the United States,” NBC News and NPR reported. The law targets Russian officials, oligarchs and banks and lets the president sanction big buyers of Russian oil and gas. Its deadline was Oct. 18. On Saturday Trump called the waiver “a very good decision.” Rubio called it a 60-day pause, RTÉ and TheJournal.ie reported. Zelenskyy called it unfortunate and wrong, NPR and CNBC reported. Blumenthal, Tillis, Cruz and Haley criticized it, Axios and Fox Business reported.
Congress wrote the law to squeeze Moscow’s energy income but left the president a waiver, and he used it before any penalty took hold. The pause follows last week’s deal to bring Russian diesel to market as fuel prices rise. Lawmakers from both parties now face a choice about whether to push back on a president of their own party weeks before an election.
Diesel feeds into freight, farming and grocery prices, so the administration is betting that more Russian supply eases costs. If the sanctions stay off, tariff threats against major buyers of Russian oil also stay off, which matters for trade.
The administration’s case, from Trump and Rubio, is that the country needs time to study what the sanctions would do to the world economy and fuel prices. Trump said the decision is good for the country and the world.
Critics including Blumenthal, Tillis, Cruz, Haley and Zelenskyy say the pause rewards Putin and weakens pressure to end the war. Darline Graham said she would keep the pressure on because she does not trust Putin.
Confirmed: the order, the national-interest wording and the bipartisan criticism. Not confirmed: whether the pause will really end after 60 days. Watch whether Congress moves to override, and whether diesel prices actually fall.
DailyDrop U.S. No. 14 · October 18, 2026