🚨 BREAKING: Trump introduces Graham’s “hellish sanctions” on Russia — only to suspend them immediately Or, more precisely, put them on hold. The law required the US president to introduce restrictive measures by October 18, but it also allowed Trump to suspend their implementation if doing so served US national interests. And that's exactly what he did. “I am hereby waiving the application of such sanctions, restrictions, and duties provided for in the Graham Act. I have submitted to the Congress a certification that the issuance of such a waiver at this time is in the national interests of the United States,” Trump's Friday executive order states. Trump has thus put on hold the introduction of additional 500% tariffs on Russian goods and 100% tariffs on products from countries among the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as those most actively helping Moscow evade sanctions. The waiver will remain in effect until the president and secretary of state, in consultation with the treasury secretary and US trade representative, decide the sanctions should be imposed. A week earlier, following his conversation with Putin, Trump lifted the ban on purchases of Russian diesel, citing the interests of Americans struggling with high prices ahead of the congressional midterm elections.