Trump waives Russia sanctions from Graham Act legislation

President Trump signed an executive order on Friday, waiving sanctions against Russia before they could take effect. The sanctions were part of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act, which Congress passed and Trump himself signed into law last month. The law was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, who died in July after working for over a year to build support for it. The sanctions were designed to put economic pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine. They targeted Russian officials, wealthy businesspeople, and banks, and included tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy. Trump told Congress the waiver was in the national interest. The move gives his administration more control over which sanctions are actually enforced.