Trump suspends the application of the new sanctions against Russia that he recently enacted

WASHINGTON (AP) — US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday pausing a broad new package of sanctions against the Russian economy, telling Congress that this suspension is in the national interest. The president personally signed the legislation just last month and made the new decision just two days before the deadline set in the law for its implementation. The measure, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was intended to more rapidly halt the flow of financial resources that fuel the war against Ukraine. Trump's unexpected decision comes a week after he surprised by announcing that the United States had agreed to buy diesel from Russia to try to reduce global energy prices, despite this potentially harming Ukraine in its war against Moscow. A survey by the AP and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, published on October 1st, found that Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the war against Iran and hold him responsible for higher prices. Trump's approval ratings have fallen to levels close to historic lows, and pressure is growing as Republicans try to maintain control of both chambers of Congress following the midterm elections on November 3rd. The sanctions were considered part of Graham's legacy, a close ally and friend of the president who had just returned from Ukraine when he unexpectedly died in July. He had advocated for stricter sanctions by the United States against Russia as a way to pressure it to end the war against Kyiv. His colleagues in Congress responded with bipartisan support after his death, and Trump affixed his signature to the legislation... but on Friday he changed his mind. The package aimed to deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of the resources Moscow needs to continue its war against Ukraine after invading its neighbor more than four years ago. The bill, also drafted by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, focused on sanctioning Russian officials, banks, and a clandestine fleet of oil tankers that keeps Russian energy in motion. It also ordered Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five main Russian importers of oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken significant measures to reduce those imports. Shortly after the announcement of the sanctions suspension, Democratic Representative Don Beyer noted on social media that he and others had "warned" that Trump could make such a decision. The veteran congressman, who spoke out against the bill while it was being debated, urged Congress to "fix this flawed law to prevent Trump from capitulating to Putin and to ensure it truly supports Ukraine." The White House did not explain at the time how the suspension of sanctions responded to the national interest. The decision was published on the White House website late at night, and the notification indicated that the report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress. Trump has increasingly attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, blaming him for not reaching an agreement with Putin to end the fighting. The Trump administration had largely remained silent since broad majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the bill after Graham's sudden death. Zelenskyy had urged lawmakers to approve it. Trump took his new measure after reaching an agreement with Putin on diesel. The president took his new measure after announcing last week that he had reached an agreement with Putin. Trump indicated that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately after." Then, Moscow will deliver another 3 million tons "in a short period of time," he wrote. The fact that Trump reached a diesel agreement with Putin has been harshly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, who argue that it will help Russia continue the war against Ukraine without making a difference in global fuel prices, which remain high mainly due to the Washington war against Iran. Meanwhile, the sanctions that Trump suspended had also become a central focus of the campaign for Senator Darline Graham, the late senator's sister, who was allocated to complete the remaining months of the term she had. She is now running to replace him in the Senate more permanently. After Trump signed the bill, Darline Graham expressed in a statement: "I wish Lindsey were here to celebrate this historic day." In a debate earlier this week with the Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, Graham—who has Trump's backing and is expected to campaign with him in South Carolina next week—commented that she had felt "very proud" to help the measure be approved. However, she acknowledged that it was up to the president to decide how to implement it. "It gives the president tools he can use, if he decides so, to end the war through economic sanctions," Graham stated on Sunday during a debate in Columbia. "So it is up to him whether he wants to use it or use something else, but I believe the purpose is to lower gasoline prices and, ultimately, end the war. And when the war ends, gasoline prices will fall."