Trump Suspends Russia Sanctions Weeks Before Midterms

President Donald Trump suspended a congressionally approved sanctions package against Russia via executive decree on Friday, just two weeks before US midterm elections and one week after announcing a diesel agreement with Moscow. The sanctions targeted Russia's energy sector. The law, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would have imposed tariffs up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas, including India and China, plus visa bans on Vladimir Putin and sanctions on banks and Russia's shadow fleet. Moscow called the suspension a "historic moment," while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged swift implementation. Trump suspended the measures just before the 30-day deadline, citing US national interest. Critics, including Democratic Representative Don Beyer, called it a "capitulation to Putin." The move further strained US-Ukraine relations, with Kyiv also reporting restricted access to Starlink and withdrawing from a US-declared energy ceasefire.