On Saturday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that the decision by President Donald Trump to lift sanctions and tariffs against Russia before they were set to take effect would, in his view, provide added relief to Moscow and encourage further Russian military action — noting that reversing the measures "seems wrong to me" and "definitely helps only the Russians."
A Friday night executive order from Trump suspended key provisions tied to Russia under the Graham Act — legislation he had signed the previous month — including duties on Russian goods and penalties linked to purchases of its oil and gas, all of which had been set to enter force the following week. A statement from Trump described the waiver as aligned with United States national interests.
The legislation was designed to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia following its 2022 military offensive into Ukraine, setting out a framework of escalating consequences tied to the ongoing conflict. Legislation bearing Senator Lindsey O. Graham's name — a measure targeting Russia and Iran with sanctions — received a presidential signature around the middle of September 2026. Under the bill, whose chief congressional champion was Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — who has since died — tariffs reaching as high as 100 percent would have taken effect within 30 days on goods arriving in the United States from the five nations purchasing the greatest volumes of Russian crude oil or natural gas, and also on goods from any country that either bought Russian oil or gas in the 30 days following enactment or ranked among the five nations most actively helping Russia circumvent existing sanctions.
Zelenskyy stated that the latest move by Trump gives Russian President Vladimir Putin greater latitude to act, and that Russia carried out strikes on more than 15 Ukrainian power generation and transmission facilities on Friday — a development he described as deepening Moscow's appetite for continued military action rather than bringing the conflict any closer to an end. He added that Russia appeared to be laying the groundwork for an intensified campaign targeting western Ukraine.
On Friday, Kirill Dmitriev — who holds the role of investment envoy for Russia — posted on X that the Trump administration's decision to waive the penalties represented a shift in the economic relationship between the two nations, adding that the measures, had they gone into force, would have cut off nearly all trade between them.
Relations between Trump and Moscow have grown notably closer, even as he has directed public criticism at Zelenskyy — at one point raising the prospect of a change in Kyiv's leadership.
Two of the world's largest purchasers of Russian oil — China and India — had put forward objections to the Graham Act. China's government put on record its opposition to what it described as extraterritorial jurisdiction lacking grounding in international law, while India's government conveyed to the United States that newly imposed tariffs carry the potential to strain relations between the two countries.
With United States midterm elections approaching — contests in which Republicans hold slim majorities in both congressional chambers — analysts have noted that the measures could push oil prices higher at a time when household costs are already elevated.
Under the Graham Act, a presidential waiver of those penalties becomes available once formal written notification reaches Congress stating that enforcement would run counter to national interests. The executive order issued on Friday stated that the waiver would remain active until the administration determines that additional steps are warranted.
Representative Don Beyer of Virginia argued in a statement that the policy amounted to a concession to Russia that undermined Ukraine and ran counter to the intent of congressional legislation passed to hold Russia accountable for its military actions there. Graham, who passed away in July, had been a consistent advocate for American support of Ukraine.
In a Saturday post, Zelenskyy noted that the legislation carrying the late senator's name had provided some reassurance about continued bipartisan support for Kyiv, and expressed that the senator's absence stays with him. Zelenskyy told reporters he believed the administration's accommodations toward Russia — covering both the diesel trade arrangement and the waiver tied to the Graham Act — were unlikely to represent the full extent of what lay ahead, with further measures expected to follow.
