US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia’s energy revenues, just a month after enacting them into law.
The legislation, known as the Lindsey Graham Act and named after the late US senator who sponsored the bill, had authorised Trump to impose duties of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, reports AFP.
“As described further in section 4 of this order, I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act,” the executive order stated.
The law targeted Russia’s energy and defence sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.
Trump’s reversal on the sanctions follows a controversial deal reached with Putin that allows Russian diesel exports in exchange for US sanctions relief.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have deteriorated since the agreement was reached. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the move as a “weak decision”, while Ukrainian forces resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries.
