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Trump pauses new Russia sanctions package, citing US national interest

Executive order follows Trump's announcement of a diesel purchase deal with Russia a week earlier.

Updated Oct 20, 2026 · 00:21 UTC31 reports

The short version

  • Trump signed an executive order on Friday pausing a new sanctions package targeting Russia's economy.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • He said the pause serves the national interest; he had signed the Graham-named legislation last month.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The move came a week after Trump announced a diesel purchase deal with Russia, which Zelenskyy said would send cash back to Russia.[ABC News · Associated Press · The Guardian]
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Don Bacon criticized the pause, and Blumenthal disputes its national security basis.[NBC News · Deutsche Welle]

Key facts

  • President Trump signed an executive order on Friday putting a new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy on hold, saying the pause was in the national interest.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • Trump signed the sanctions legislation, named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, last month.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The pause came a week after Trump said the U.S. had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to lower global energy prices.[ABC News · Associated Press · The Guardian]
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal called the waivers unrelated to national security and said they were about pleasing Vladimir Putin.[NBC News · Deutsche Welle]
  • Rep. Don Bacon said in a post on X that the president is prolonging the war rather than ending it.[NBC News]
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the diesel deal would mean cash will start flowing back into Russia.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • Critics dispute that the pause serves the national interest; Blumenthal said the waivers serve Putin rather than US security.[NBC News · Deutsche Welle]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.