Republican lawmaker says Trump's Russia sanctions waiver prolongs the war

President Donald Trump waived key sanctions and tariffs from the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 via executive order on Friday, just two days before they were set to take effect, drawing bipartisan criticism and praise from Russia. The waiver suspends provisions including a 500 percent tariff on Russian goods and 100 percent tariffs on top importers of Russian oil, prompting Republican Senator Thom Tillis to call the move "beyond irresponsible" and Representative Don Bacon to say Trump is "prolonging the war, not ending it." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the decision amid Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy sector, while Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called it historic. The move follows Trump's recent agreement with Vladimir Putin to increase Russian diesel supplies to global markets, though no direct link between the deal and the waiver has been established.