President Trump waived most of the new sanctions and tariffs in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday. He signed the law in mid-September. It was written to hit Russian goods with 500 percent tariffs and the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas with 100 percent tariffs starting this weekend. The law also carried other sanctions. Trump certified to Congress that holding them off serves U.S. national interests.
The waiver lines up with a diesel agreement Trump announced earlier with Russia. Moscow is set to ship more than 300,000 tons of diesel right away, followed by larger amounts in the weeks ahead. Fuel prices have stayed high after the Iran war and after Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Existing U.S. sanctions on Russia stay in place. Trump can put the Graham Act measures back on if he chooses.
🚨 NOW: President Trump OBLITERATES the hypocrites attacking his Russian oil deal despite the EU PAYING **$250 BILLION** to the Russians for energy
Nailed it.
“The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story. I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST! President DONALD J. TRUMP” 🇺🇸
They were SILENT on Europe continuing to fund the Russians endlessly…and now, the ONE TIME Trump tries to relieve price pressures through a deal with Russia, HE’S the bad guy now
Total hypocrites. Europe can do it, but not the US. It’s a theme.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 12, 2026
Russia’s presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the pause a “significant and truly historic moment.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted that the relief “helps only the Russians” and “does not stop the war.” Democratic lawmakers quickly labeled it a gift to Putin. Some media outlets framed the decision the same way.
The coverage follows a familiar pattern. From 2016 through 2019, major outlets and Democratic figures repeatedly claimed Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and later reviews found no evidence of criminal coordination. The story faded once the evidence was examined. The current framing treats a temporary pause on new tariffs—tied to diesel supply and American fuel prices—as the same kind of evidence.
🇺🇸🇷🇺 Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Trump establishing closer trade relations with Russia:
“There is a whole range of economic and investment projects being discussed with the American side that will be implemented.
The diesel deal is one of these projects, and it is extremely important not only for the United States but for the entire world.”
Writer: Mhedi
https://t.co/u2vITZdyRh
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 17, 2026
The fighting continues. Trump announced an energy ceasefire last weekend and asked both sides to stop hitting energy sites. Ukraine paused strikes on Russian refineries for a few days, then resumed them after saying Russia kept attacking Ukrainian power plants and infrastructure. Russia has continued strikes of its own. The full daily military picture is tracked on Whatfinger’s Military & War desk.
Diesel prices hit truckers, farmers, and manufacturers every week. Holding them down supports the factory rebound that has added jobs this year. Voters will decide in the November 3 midterms whether that focus stays in place. The latest polling with lean tags is at the Whatfinger News poll board, and past election maps are on the Whatfinger News election record page.
The war in Ukraine is more than three years old. Casualties on both sides are high. Energy markets remain tight. Trump’s waiver prioritizes U.S. fuel costs and keeps the option to reimpose pressure. The media response is already treating that choice as proof of the same story that did not hold up the last time. As President Trump has often said ‘ The media is the enemy of the people.’ We here at Whatfinger News agree 100%.
— The Whatfinger News Team: Beth, Alex, with Grok on edits
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