Trump waives Russia sanctions as Zelenskyy accuses him of rewarding Putin

Summary

President Donald Trump waived sanctions Congress passed against Russia, saying in an executive order Friday that the move was in the US national interest, NBC News reports. Zelenskyy said Trump was rewarding Putin, according to NBC News. The BBC reports that the temporary waiver ends many recently passed restrictions on Moscow, citing national-security concerns; The Hindu says Trump submitted a certification to Congress that a waiver on sanctions and tariffs for Russian oil and gas purchases was in the US national interest, while Deutsche Welle reports that he signed a waiver putting sanctions on hold.

Timeline

1. Deutsche Welle

   17 Oct 2026, 02:09 UTCSource ↗

   Deutsche Welle reports that Trump signed a waiver putting on hold sanctions Congress voted to place on Russia, citing US national interests.

2. NBC News

   17 Oct 2026, 02:45 UTCSource ↗

   NBC News reports that Trump waived sweeping new Russia sanctions passed by Congress, citing the US national interest in an executive order, and that Zelenskyy said Trump was rewarding Putin.

3. BBC

   17 Oct 2026, 06:39 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that Trump temporarily ended many restrictions on Moscow recently passed by Congress, citing national-security concerns.

4. The Hindu

   17 Oct 2026, 09:56 UTCSource ↗

   The Hindu reports that Trump waived sanctions and tariffs on purchases of Russian oil and gas and said he submitted a certification to Congress that a waiver was in the US national interest.