Trump temporarily suspends a package of sanctions against Russia in the midst of a rapprochement with Putin

BarcelonaJust one week after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the acquisition of 300,000 tons of Russian diesel, the New York tycoon signed an executive order late this Friday that temporarily suspends the application of a broad package of sanctions against Russia. He argued before Congress that it is a measure that responds to the "national interest," as reported by the White House.

The decision affects a law named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, which seeks to tighten sanctions against the Russian economy and limit the flow of financial resources that contribute to sustaining the war against Ukraine. Trump had applied this legislation last September 18, but has now temporarily exempted the application of several provisions of the rule.

Specifically, the order exempts sanctions against individuals and entities linked to the Russian government; financial and commercial restrictions and tariffs planned for Russian products, and those from certain countries that are buyers of Russian hydrocarbons. The decision does not eliminate the sanctions that the United States had already imposed on Russia through previous executive orders.

Moscow has described the decision as a "historic moment." In a message on Telegram, the Kremlin emissary, Kirill Dmitriev, celebrated that the White House has opted for "cooperation" and "joint responsibility for global stability." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who sees the trade veto and the isolation of Russia fading, lamented that the decision comes after the latest attacks by Moscow against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and asserted that the now-frozen law "could have been of great help".

The background

The decision comes after Washington temporarily authorized commercial operations with Russian-origin diesel until April 7, 2027, including its import into the United States, despite the sanctions in force against Moscow. Trump announced last October 9 that he had agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the supply of diesel for international markets. There are three weeks left until the US midterm elections, and Trump is trying by all means—even with pacts with Putin—to lower energy and fuel prices, which have skyrocketed in the United States, to try to boost his popularity.

When he announced the diesel deal last week, the Republican leader stated that Russia would initially deliver more than 300,000 tons of fuel and that it would subsequently supply additional quantities, conditioned in part by the state of the refineries. The agreement has sparked criticism from lawmakers from both parties, who question the possible effects on economic pressure against Moscow and its compatibility with US legislation. Detractors warn that the revenue derived from the sale of Russian fuel could help finance the war against Ukraine, while the White House defends the need to contain energy costs.