Ukraine war: Trump puts planned tariffs against Russia on hold

Washington. Almost a month after signing a sanctions package against Russia, US President Donald Trump is putting the tariffs included in it on hold shortly before they come into force. The drastic punitive measures are suspended until further notice, as stated in a decree published on Friday (local time). Trump justified his actions by saying that this was “in the national interest” of the USA at this time.

In mid-September, Trump signed the law passed by the US Parliament with new, far-reaching punitive measures against Russia. The sanctions package had previously received a bipartisan majority in Congress and was intended to put greater pressure on the Kremlin for its war of aggression against Ukraine.

The law stipulated that the tariffs and sanctions enshrined in the text would automatically take effect 30 days after signing - unless the President decided otherwise within that time. Trump suspended the tariffs shortly before the end of the deadline set by Congress.

Congress wanted to increase the pressure on Russia, but Trump recently seemed to be pursuing the opposite goals: A few days ago, despite existing sanctions, he agreed with the Kremlin to supply Russian diesel and then increased the pressure on Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump announced that Russia would immediately make more than 300,000 tons of diesel available to the USA and the world market. Existing sanctions would be suspended. Trump, whose Republicans have to face the voters in just over two weeks, hopes to be able to reduce the currently high fuel prices again. In recent months, prices for gasoline and diesel have skyrocketed as a result of the Iran war.

In addition to direct sanctions against Russian politicians and companies, the law also provides for punitive measures against Russian oil and gas exports, which Moscow uses to finance its war of aggression. The law would, among other things, authorize Trump to impose sanctions on the five largest buyers of Russian energy. The same applies to the five countries that help Russia the most to circumvent energy sanctions. This could further strain US trade relations with economic heavyweights China and India, which purchase large quantities of Russian oil.

The sanctions law bears the name of Senator and Trump confidant Lindsey Graham, who died in July and was instrumental in pushing it forward. Many Democrats had criticized the bill for giving Trump too much freedom in imposing or suspending sanctions.