Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions, Citing National Interest
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday night waiving the new Russia sanctions mandated by the Graham Act before they took effect, telling Congress the pause was in the national interest.
The Morning Brief Desk · October 17, 2026 · Based on reporting by AP News
President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday night that waives a sweeping package of new sanctions on Russia before any of the measures took effect, according to AP News. The sanctions were mandated by Congress under the Graham Act, a legislative package targeting the Russian economy. In a notification to Congress, Trump said the pause was in the national interest.
The order covers the entire sanctions package Congress approved under the act, The Hill reported. Because the waiver was signed ahead of the measures' scheduled start date, none of the new restrictions on the Russian economy ever came into force.
The move amounts to a reversal of a law Trump himself approved. Axios noted that the president signed the Graham Act into law just last month, meaning the executive order holds off measures he enacted only weeks earlier. The late-Friday timing meant the announcement came after the close of the business week. The available reporting does not detail how long the waiver will remain in place, what conditions might end it, or which specific economic measures within the package were set to begin.
The context
The Graham Act is a legislative package passed by Congress that mandates sweeping sanctions aimed at the Russian economy. Trump signed it into law last month, according to Axios, setting the new measures on a path toward a scheduled start date. Friday's executive order intervened before that date arrived, placing the full package on hold. The act's sanctions were congressionally mandated rather than discretionary executive measures, which is why Trump's order took the form of a waiver accompanied by a formal notice to Congress citing the national interest. The reporting available does not specify what triggered the timing of the waiver or whether the administration signaled the move in advance. The sanctions fall within the broader context of U.S. policy on Russia and the war in Ukraine, the subject area the legislation targets.
Why it matters
A presidential waiver of sanctions that Congress just passed — and that the president himself signed into law — is a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Russia. The measures were designed to pressure the Russian economy, and the waiver means that pressure will not materialize on the schedule lawmakers set. The decision also raises questions about the balance between congressional mandates and executive discretion in sanctions policy, since the entire package Congress approved is now on hold by executive action. The outcome bears directly on U.S. leverage in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
What’s next
Key questions remain open: how long the waiver lasts, whether it can be renewed, and whether the Graham Act gives Congress any mechanism to respond or override the pause. Reactions from lawmakers who passed the act, as well as from Ukraine and European governments, will be worth watching. The administration has cited the national interest but has not, in the reporting available, laid out detailed conditions for letting the sanctions proceed.
Sources
AP News — Trump puts new Russia sanctions passed by Congress on hold
Trump signed an executive order putting a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy on hold, telling Congress the pause was in the national interest.
The Hill — Trump waives Russian sanctions outlined in Graham Act before they take effect
The president signed an executive order Friday evening waiving sanctions set to take effect under the recently signed Graham Act legislative package.
Axios — Trump waives new Russia sanctions in the "national interests"
Trump waived the new levies late Friday night, holding off on measures under the Graham Act that he himself signed into law just last month.
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