Graham Breaks With Trump Over Russia Sanctions Waiver
The graham breaks with trump split became public Saturday, as Sen. Darline Graham — the South Carolina Republican who championed the sanctions law named for her late brother — openly disagreed with President Donald Trump’s decision to waive its Russia penalties just days before they were to take effect.
Trump signed the waiver Friday in an executive order, certifying to Congress that pausing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 serves the national interest of the United States. The waivers remain in place until Trump or his top officials determine that further action is appropriate.
Graham, who was appointed to the Senate seat after her brother’s unexpected death earlier this year, said she looks forward to talking to the president about the move. During debate this week she noted that the law was deliberately written to give the president tools he may choose to use or not — the waiver authority Trump invoked is built into her brother’s bill, not slipped around it.
Bipartisan Backlash From Tillis to Warren
Criticism of the waiver crossed party lines within hours. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called the decision “beyond irresponsible,” accusing the administration of capitulating to Russian President Vladimir Putin and asking how the president and his advisers could set aside a law passed 86-11 by the Senate.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said the late Senator Graham “would be appalled.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who helped draft the bill, said the waivers have nothing to do with national security. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts accused Trump of “thumbing his nose” at Congress, while Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said the move betrayed Ukraine. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a Republican, said the president is prolonging the war, not ending it.
A day before the order, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul and Democratic Rep. Jim Costa urged Trump in a bipartisan letter to implement the law fully by its deadline, writing that any waiver should be “narrow, time-limited, and tied to measurable reductions in support for Russia’s war.” The waivers Trump signed are open-ended.
What the Graham Act Was Meant to Do
The law, signed in mid-September, would have let the president impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from countries that kept buying Russian oil and gas or helped Moscow dodge sanctions — including duties of up to 500 percent on goods imported from Russia and up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas.
The waiver does not lift all existing U.S. sanctions against Russia; measures imposed under earlier executive orders remain in place.
Zelenskyy Condemns, Moscow Welcomes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move, which came as Russia carried out what he described as one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. “At a time when the Russians have carried out such a massive attack on our energy sector, a decision was unfortunately made in America to completely disregard the Lindsey Graham Act, which was supposed to impose truly effective pressure on Russia to bring this war to an end,” he said. “This Act could have helped enormously — and still can! But it needs to actually work, and every voice in support of it matters.”
Despite the rift, Zelenskyy said U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators spoke Friday and could meet next week.
In Moscow, Kirill Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, called the suspension “important and truly historic,” saying economic cooperation between Russia and the United States serves both countries and lays the groundwork for trust and lasting peace.
The decision deepens Trump’s growing rift with Zelenskyy and follows a controversial diesel deal Trump struck last week involving Russian fuel exports, which drew alarm in Europe. The White House has been pressing Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities in hopes of easing fuel prices before the midterms; Ukraine briefly complied before resuming the attacks, while Russia has pounded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure all week.
Source: The New York Times