Donald Trump has put on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause on the legislation passed by both chambers was in the national interest, the Guardian reported.
In an executive order on Friday, the president said he was waiving many sanctions, restrictions and duties on Russia, in a move that comes as he has been publicly criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including suggesting that Ukraine needs a new leader.
The move was greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who wrote on social media: “The Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment.”
Trump signed the legislation last month, after Congress passed the measure in an act of rare bipartisan agreement. It sought to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The legislation – whose primary backer in Congress was the late senator Lindsey Graham – sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving and was due to be implemented in two days.
It also directs Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
Friday’s announcement comes a week after Trump said the U.S. had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, upending years of U.S. and Western pressure on the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine.
Trump said last week that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1m tons “immediately thereafter”. Russia would deliver an additional 3m tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote.
Under the legislation he signed into law, Trump had until October 18 to impose the sanctions and tariffs on Russian energy, or waive them. The administration had not told lawmakers whether it would impose the sanctions or issue a waiver.
Facing midterm elections on November 3, Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for pushing up energy prices that could cost his Republican party its thin majorities in the US Senate and House of Representatives.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
