President Donald Trump issued an executive order on October 16, 2026, waiving major sanctions and tariffs against Russia enacted by Congress just last month. Trump cited U.S. national interests, linking the waiver to an agreement securing over 3.8 million tons of Russian diesel to lower domestic energy costs. The move drew fierce bipartisan criticism and exacerbated tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Passage of the Graham sanctions act
- ▪The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was championed by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July 2026 after spending over a year building support for the measure
- ▪President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law in September 2026 following broad bipartisan approval in Congress
Darline Graham campaign
- ▪Senator Darline Graham made the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 a centerpiece of her campaign to permanently succeed her late brother in the Senate
- ▪Senator Darline Graham stated during an October 2026 debate in Columbia that implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 remained within President Donald Trump's constitutional purview
Congressional criticism of the diesel deal
- ▪Bipartisan lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties criticized President Donald Trump's diesel agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing it financially aids Russia's war effort against Ukraine
- ▪Representative Jake Auchincloss publicly condemned President Donald Trump's diesel agreement with Russia as shameful and urged Congress to enforce its legislative will
Dispute over Ukrainian refinery strikes
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended Ukraine's military strikes on Russian oil refineries as a necessary strategy to erode the financial foundations sustaining Russia's war
- ▪President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for surging U.S. gasoline prices
Zelenskyy on Trump and Putin
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly criticized President Donald Trump's business dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that making deals with Putin was a mistake
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russian President Vladimir Putin as 'real evil' and questioned how President Donald Trump could be friends with him
Iran war's impact on fuel prices
- ▪An AP-NORC poll published October 1, 2026 showed that Americans disapproved of President Donald Trump's handling of his war against Iran and blamed him for rising energy prices
- ▪Energy experts attribute elevated global fuel prices primarily to President Donald Trump's ongoing war against Iran rather than Russian market constraints
Midterm election outlook
- ▪Republicans face mounting pressure to retain control of both chambers of Congress in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on November 3, 2026
- ▪President Donald Trump's approval ratings dropped to near-historic lows ahead of the November 3, 2026 U.S. midterm elections
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