US President Donald Trump on 19 October 2026 defended his decision to suspend sweeping new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia and major buyers of Russian energy, saying he did not want to jeopardise ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The move, formalised through an executive order signed on Friday, has significant implications for India, one of the world's largest importers of Russian crude oil.

What Trump Signed and Why

The executive order waived major provisions of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which was signed into law on 18 September 2026. The legislation had authorised tariffs of 500 per cent on certain Russian goods and 100 per cent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, subject to statutory conditions. The same order, however, simultaneously waived the application of those additional duties and most of the new sanctions provisions.

Trump explained his rationale in a post on Truth Social, writing: 'I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.' He also argued that Russia was providing less assistance to Iran than it potentially could, and said he wished to preserve that dynamic.

India's Stakes in the Waiver

For India, the waiver carries direct economic weight. The Graham Act's provisions could have exposed major purchasers of Russian energy — India prominently among them — to additional US tariffs. With the waiver in effect, those new duties are not being applied at present, offering New Delhi a temporary reprieve.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio explicitly named India among the countries that could be affected by the legislation, and indicated that Trump wanted a window of up to 60 days to assess the wider economic consequences for the global economy and the United States before determining the next course of action. The waivers remain effective until the President or the Secretary of State, following required consultations, determines that further action is appropriate.

Congressional Pushback

The decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Several Republicans and Democrats have questioned whether suspending the sanctions undermines Washington's leverage over Moscow at a time when fighting in Ukraine continues. Critics argue that the waiver hands Russia a diplomatic reprieve without extracting tangible concessions.

The White House has defended the measure as consistent with efforts to secure a negotiated peace agreement, pushing back against the characterisation that it weakens the US position.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

Trump also criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian diesel refineries, arguing that disruptions to fuel supplies were affecting consumers and businesses internationally — remarks that underscored his ongoing differences with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the conduct of the war and its economic consequences. This comes amid a broader pattern of Trump signalling a preference for diplomacy over economic coercion in dealing with Moscow, a posture that has repeatedly drawn scrutiny from hawkish legislators.

The Graham Act itself gave the President authority to waive specified provisions after certifying to Congress that doing so served US national interests — a provision Trump has now invoked. The administration's 60-day review window means the sanctions and tariff question will resurface by mid-December, keeping pressure on India and other large Russian energy buyers to watch Washington closely.