Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Saturday described US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive a new package of Russia-related sanctions as a “historic moment”, saying Washington should prioritise dialogue and cooperation over confrontation with Moscow.
Trump signed the legislation into law last month, but his latest executive order suspends the planned measures. The restrictions included duties on Russian goods and penalties for countries buying Russian oil and gas. The order was published on the White House website late in the evening, accompanied by a notification stating that a report explaining the decision had been submitted to Congress.
His remarks came hours after Trump signed an executive order waiving key sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia, days before the measures were due to take effect under legislation he signed last month. The Lindsey Graham Act authorised Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. Under an agreement reached last week, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel.
“The Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment,” Dmitriev, an envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, wrote on X. A further 500,000 tonnes would follow in November, with another one million tonnes to be delivered “immediately thereafter”.
The decision to ease sanctions also comes at a difficult time for Kyiv, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged European Union leaders to provide nearly $80 billion in additional funding next year to support Ukraine’s war effort.
