Trump Waives New Russia Sanctions as Rubio Cites 60-Day Review but Executive Order Sets No End Date

Trump has quietly waived new US sanctions and steep tariffs on Russia 'until further notice', despite his own Secretary of State publicly framing the move as a 60‑day review of the measures' economic impact.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the administration wanted two months to assess the global fallout of the planned penalties.

However, the White House executive order Trump signed on Friday, 16 October 2026, contains no automatic expiry and keeps the waivers in place indefinitely, leaving any future reinstatement of sanctions at the discretion of the president or the secretary of state after consultations.

The decision drew criticism from US lawmakers in both parties and from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Russia continued to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on 18 September, introducing measures intended to increase economic pressure on Moscow.

The legislation targeted Russia over its war in Ukraine, including countries involved in purchasing Russian energy. The order waived specified provisions ahead of an 18 October threshold for certain energy‑related tariffs. It did not remove every existing US sanction against Russia.

Russia Sanctions Waiver Has No Automatic 60-Day Deadline

The White House executive order sets out three major tariff provisions before waiving their application. It provides for a 500 per cent increase in duties on goods imported from Russia, subject to specified exceptions.

It also sets out 100 per cent tariffs on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas. These would apply if the countries knowingly made new purchases of Russian energy on or after 18 October.

A further 100 per cent tariff provision targets goods from the five leading facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion. All three measures are subject to exceptions under the Act and waivers issued by Trump. They describe duties provided for under the order, not tariffs already collected.

The White House invoked the national‑interest waiver mechanism under Section 115 of the legislation. The order states that Trump submitted a certification and explanatory report to Congress. Its publicly released text does not detail that reasoning.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Rubio said the proposed measures had economic implications beyond Russia. 'The problem is that these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia,' he said, pointing to tariffs affecting other countries, including India.

Rubio said Trump wanted time to assess potential consequences for the global and US economies. He also cited mounting pressure on global energy supplies.

Although Rubio described a 60‑day assessment, Section 4 of the executive order establishes no automatic deadline for reinstating the measures. Instead, the waivers remain effective until Trump or the secretary of state determines that further action is appropriate, following the consultations specified in the order.

Russia Sanctions Decision Draws Bipartisan Criticism

The decision prompted objections from Republican and Democratic lawmakers seeking continued economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Senator Darline Graham, who succeeded her late brother Lindsey Graham in the Senate, disagreed with Trump's decision. She said she shared his goals of ending the war and lowering fuel prices but favoured retaining the sanctions.

'I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and get the gas prices down because I don't trust Putin and I don't trust Russia,' she said.

Republican Representative Don Bacon said Trump 'is prolonging the war, not ending it'. Representative French Hill requested a classified briefing on the decision, while Michael McCaul urged the president to reverse course. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the waiver 'beyond irresponsible'.

Democrats also criticised the move. Senator Elizabeth Warren described it as an 'abject and predictable failure in leadership', while Senator Richard Blumenthal challenged its national security justification.

The legislation expressly permits presidential waivers under specified procedures. The lawmakers' objections do not establish that Trump's order was unlawful.

Ukraine Condemns Russia Sanctions Waiver as EU Plans Further Measures

Zelensky criticised the decision as Russian strikes continued damaging Ukraine's energy infrastructure. He argued that the Graham Act could have increased pressure on Moscow to end the war.

'This Act could have helped enormously — and still can!' Zelensky said, urging supporters to press for the legislation's implementation.

The waiver follows US efforts to discourage Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries and a separate agreement intended to increase Russian diesel supplies. The administration has sought to ease fuel prices, while Kyiv has questioned whether reducing economic pressure on Moscow will help secure peace.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, welcomed the waiver as 'an important and truly historic moment'. His remarks contrasted with the objections from Ukrainian officials and US lawmakers.

Despite the disagreements, Washington and Kyiv have maintained diplomatic contact. Zelensky said negotiators from both countries spoke on Friday and were discussing another possible meeting. No confirmed date was announced.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, meanwhile, said the EU was preparing its 22nd package of sanctions against Russia. She reiterated that the bloc would maintain economic pressure until Moscow ended the war.

At a briefing on Monday, 19 October, European Commission officials said no date had been set for adopting the package. The European measures therefore remain under discussion as Washington's new sanctions waivers continue without an automatic expiry date.