Overview
- The president signed an order Friday that formally put the Graham law on the books but immediately suspended its new tariffs and sanctions rather than enforcing the measures by the October deadline.
- The order used the law’s presidential waiver and included a written certification to Congress that the suspension serves U.S. national interests while leaving existing sanctions in place.
- The administration has kept authority to grant targeted exceptions and issued a carve‑out that could allow purchases of Russian diesel, a move that drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials and some EU governments.
- Congressional pushback has been bipartisan: senators sent a letter urging the administration to rescind the diesel deal, and Representative Gregory Meeks introduced the Prohibit Corrupt Russia Oil Deals Act to bar DFC investment in Russian energy, annul OFAC general licenses, and force new sanctions on Russian energy.
- The dispute sets up a legal and political clash over executive waiver power and agency licensing, and the immediate questions to watch are whether the president or secretary of state lifts the suspension and whether Congress passes measures to block the diesel arrangement.