Page B42From§Eachthe evening edition — 18 October 2026
The sanctions law named for the senator who championed it before dying in July ran from its 19 September signing to the Friday evening before it took effect, when a second signature waived nearly all of it, hours before 320 drones hit Ukraine's grid.
“GOP lawmakers bash Trump's decision to waive Russia sanctions: 'Beyond irresponsible'”, 17 October 2026 (Photo via The Hill — the original report)
As it ran on the front
The chief puts two things on the table: a law, and the evening before it was due to work.
The mess begins as a number. The drawer filed 5 September has AAA's average for a gallon of diesel at $5.88, a record set that Saturday, with Axios reporting that incumbent Republicans were worried about the figure, their own polling placing the blame on the president. On 14 September the president posted that "Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets" and that Russia had agreed to do likewise. On 19 September he signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, named for the South Carolina senator who championed it before dying in July: sanctions on Russia's energy sector, tariffs of up to 100 percent on buyers of Russian energy. On 21 September came the diagnosis, posted — "Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine."…
…(cont) Then the run-up, which is where the parts are. In September, Representatives Joe Wilson and Keith Self asked the administration to put sanctions back on a Russian-owned refinery in Serbia. On 1 October Ukraine struck an oil facility in Russia's Samara region, analysts citing the war in Iran for the rising prices, and Britain opened talks with the European Commission, Germany, France, Italy and Ireland about drawing down emergency diesel stockpiles, the administration having told Germany and France to release theirs or face a US export ban. On 4 October Russia's defense ministry said that if the refinery strikes continued, Russian forces would hit Ukrainian military and industrial sites.
On Friday 9 October Washington signed with Moscow. The invoice went up in three lines — 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 in November, a million after that; nearly 5 million tons to the United States and global markets "within a short period of time," by Le Monde's count — and no figure attached to any American pump. On Saturday 10 October Zelensky called it "absolutely terrible" and "not fair and not honest," an "investment in war that must be ended, not prolonged." That same Saturday the president told reporters Zelensky "could have settled this war many times" and suggested Ukraine get a new leader. The Kremlin said there would be no immediate resumption of talks. Russian strikes killed at least 20 people, including three children.
On 11 October seven senators on the Foreign Relations Committee pushed back. By 13 October his own party's newspaper had ruled the deal too small and too late for the midterms. On Friday 16 October the president called Ukraine's strikes on the refineries he had just legalized buying from "a disgrace," a refinery ceasefire having been announced on top of the deal — a ceasefire neither government said it had agreed to. That evening a second signature waived nearly all of the law, sanctions and tariffs together, the day before it took effect. Hours later more than 320 drones hit Ukraine's power grid.
So the one who takes things apart starts at the waiver. The law was not repealed; it sits on the books exactly as passed, and the only moving piece in the assembly is a signature.
The builder lays out the drawer. One statute, in force, authorizing tariffs of up to 100 percent on buyers of Russian energy. One letter, drafted in September by two House Republicans, addressed to the right office, asking that sanctions be put back on a named refinery. One committee of jurisdiction, seven of its senators on record 11 October.
The muscle takes down the reason first. The driver's part is that calendar.
The law is still law. The waiver is a signature. The grid took 320 drones. Readers judge whether the parts hold.
Several GOP lawmakers criticized President Trump’s move to exempt Russia from the sanctions bill he signed law last month, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R- N.C.) calling the move "beyond irresponsible." Trump signed an executive order Friday evening to waive sanctions against Russia in a legislative package that was meant to put pressure on the…
President Donald Trump waived sweeping new sanctions against Russia passed by Congress, arguing in an executive order Friday that the move “is in the national interests of the United States.”
President Donald Trump on Sunday announced an immediate “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, a day after ripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for targeting Russian energy infrastructure during the war and calling for a new Ukrainian leader. “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia…
"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky... And within 24 hours, that war will be settled" - Trump, CNN town hall, 10 May 2023. CNN counted 53 separate occasions he promised it. CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
Invited to the European leaders' summit in Brussels on Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky, weakened by what he called the 'betrayal' of Donald Trump, asked his allies for an additional €70 billion in aid for the year 2027.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused President Trump on Saturday of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “the best birthday gift” after he waived new sanctions on Russia days before they were set to take effect. “By giving the Russian economy life support Trump’s deal with the devil keeps getting dirtier,”
The US president announced Friday that Russia has committed to supplying nearly 5 million tons of diesel fuel to the United States and global markets 'within a short period of time.' The deal has sparked outrage across Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said the U.S.-Russia diesel deal is a "birthday gift" to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to "kill us, kill our children." When asked by ABC's Jonathan Karl on "This Week" about his remark that the deal helps Putin as a "gift," Zelensky explained that it "gives Putin money and...
Senator Darline Graham, appointed to fill the Senate seat of her late brother, Lindsey, gently disagreed with the president’s decision to exempt Russia from the sanctions legislation.
Ukraine's president sharply criticised the move, calling it an "investment in war that must be ended, not prolonged".
Trump promised he'd settle the Ukraine war within 24 hours of talking to Putin and Zelenskyy - he's said some version of that 53 separate times CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
US president suggests Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not done enough to end war Donald Trump has said Ukraine needs “a new leader”, a day after making a deal with Vladimir Putin to buy large quantities of Russian diesel. The US president suggested Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war with Russia and…
"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky... And within 24 hours, that war will be settled" - Trump, CNN town hall, 10 May 2023. CNN counted 53 separate occasions he promised it CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bashed President Donald Trump’s deal with Russia to supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to global markets, giving arguably his most direct and biting criticism of Trump so far. Trump announced the deal on Friday in a post on Truth Social after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin…
President Trump prevented some new sanctions on Russia and hefty tariffs on large-scale buyers of Russian oil from taking effect late Friday, as he seeks to ease prices by tapping Russian energy.
President Trump ripped into Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday telling reporters outside the White House that it's time for Ukraine to “get a new president.”
President Trump's criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy comes after Russian strikes killed at least 20 people, including three children, in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decried President Trump’s late-night decision to waive sanctions and tariffs against Russia days before they were set to take effect under a new law. “At a time when the Russians have carried out such a massive attack on our energy sector, a decision was unfortunately made in America to completely…
"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky... And within 24 hours, that war will be settled" - Trump, CNN town hall, 10 May 2023. CNN counted 53 separate occasions he promised it. CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived the sweeping Russian sanctions and tariffs enacted by the bill championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Trump signed the Lindsey O.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Saturday issued rare approval of President Donald Trump, commending the White House for lifting sanctions on Russia. The White House waived the sanctions on Friday, after the late Sen.
The Trump administration is ignoring the will of Congress and waiving new Russia sanctions amid fears that high energy prices will cost Republicans in next month’s elections.
Earlier this month, a Russian missile slammed into a housing complex in Pryluky, a Ukrainian city of no strategic value, far from the eastern front lines. Thirty apartments were destroyed. Twenty-two people were killed.
Hours after President Trump said the United States would buy Russian diesel, the Kremlin said there would be no immediate resumption of discussions to end the war.
President Trump on Saturday pushed back on criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel amid the Russia-Ukraine war. The president told reporters outside the White House that Zelensky “could have settled this war many times,” but “chose not to.”
President signed the legislation championed by late senator Lindsey Graham last month but has waived the restrictions as they were due to come into effect Donald Trump has put on hold a sweeping new sanctions package targeting the Russian economy, telling Congress the pause on the legislation passed by both chambers was in the national…
A bipartisan group of seven lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned President Trump’s recent deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which would lift sanctions on Russia and permit the flow of its oil into the global economy. “Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars…
President Donald Trump on Saturday called for new leadership in Ukraine, marking a dramatic shift in the United States’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has long pushed Russia and Ukraine to make a deal ending the war between the countries, which has now stretched over four-and-a-half years and appeared to…
Ukrainian leader says he was surprised by Trump’s ‘energy ceasefire’ announcement, posted as Russian drones hit Kyiv Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to respond to Russia’s continuing attacks on the Ukrainian power grid as European leaders rally around Kyiv amid a feud with Donald Trump over Ukraine’s strikes on oil refineries. Speaking to…
The sanctions were part of a measure that was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July.
"I'll meet with Putin. I'll meet with Zelensky... And within 24 hours, that war will be settled" - Trump, CNN town hall, 10 May 2023. CNN counted 53 separate occasions he promised it. CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
US president says agreement needed to lower fuel prices, but move likely to create fresh crisis with Ukraine and Nato allies Donald Trump is on a fresh collision course with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies after his stunning agreement to buy Russian diesel upended years of US and western pressure on the Kremlin to end its war…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.
