Trump suspended sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet – two days before they were set to take effect

President Donald Trump suspended, through an executive order issued on Friday, the sweeping sanctions package that both chambers of Congress had passed with rare bipartisan support. According to a report by The Guardian, the US president informed lawmakers that the delay served the country's interest.

The law — the "Lindsey O. Graham Russia and Iran Sanctions Act of 2026" — was signed by Trump himself last month. The legislation provides for sanctions against Russian officials, banks, and the shadow fleet that handles Russian energy shipments. It also requires the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest importers of Russian oil and natural gas. The measures were due to take effect on Sunday, and Trump had until October 18 to decide whether to apply or suspend them.

The decision came a week after Trump announced a deal on the purchase of Russian diesel. A bipartisan group of twelve senators — including six Republicans — sent a letter on Tuesday urging the president to abandon the deal and apply the sanctions. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told Politico that there was no logic to Washington's rapprochement with Moscow. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who is usually criticized for his pro-Russian stances, called the deal with Putin a betrayal at the EU summit. Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Saturday that suspending the sanctions would only encourage Moscow to continue its attacks.

Source: G4Media

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