In a big relief for India and China, US President Donald Trump has waived many sanctions and tariffs linked to Russian exports – a day before they were to take effect under a bill he signed last month.
I have submitted to Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interest of the United States,” Trump said in an executive order released late Friday. “I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act. He died in July this year shortly after returning from a trip to Kyiv. The legislation sought to reduce the financial resources sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine and targeted Russian officials, banks, energy interests, and foreign entities supporting Moscow’s military operations. The law also authorised Trump to impose tariffs on countries doing business with Russia to cut their dependence on Russian oil and gas. Additionally, it included sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior figures in the Russian government. The ministry also added that the issue of India’s oil trade with Russia has been discussed at high levels in recent months with various US interlocutors.
Trump had signed the legislation ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 ‘ – which was named after Senator Lindsey Graham – one of Ukraine’s staunch defenders in Washington. What India had said “As stated on several earlier occasions, India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people.
The pause has been imposed in the “national interest”, according to Trump. It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and based on evolving market dynamics,” the foreign ministry had said in a statement. “Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relationship but also the international energy market have been very clearly articulated by the Indian side,” it said.
