Source The Hindu
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON — A top Russian official has lauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to block a sweeping package of new sanctions against Moscow, calling the move a “historic moment” in the ongoing geopolitical standoff.
Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, took to social media on Saturday to praise the U.S. administration’s suspension of the newly passed Graham Act.
“The Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment,” Dmitriev stated.
The controversial executive order, signed by Trump on Friday, effectively waives a series of stringent sanctions and tariffs primarily targeting Russia’s lucrative energy sector. The financial penalties were slated to go into effect in just two days after being overwhelmingly passed by Congress in a rare bipartisan effort to choke off funding for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
In his executive order, President Trump formally certified to Congress that waiving the sanctions was in the “national interest of the United States”. Under the law, the president maintains the authority to bypass the restrictions by notifying Congress of this determination.
The sudden policy shift comes amid deepening tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Trump has recently engaged in a public clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fueling speculation that the U.S. leader is increasingly pivoting toward Moscow nearly five years into the bloody conflict. The sanctions waiver also follows a recent, highly criticized “diesel deal” wherein the U.S. agreed to lift certain restrictions on Russian exports in exchange for Russia supplying diesel to global markets to lower fuel costs.
While the decision marks a significant diplomatic victory for the Kremlin, it has triggered immediate outrage across the aisle in the U.S. Congress, where lawmakers had crafted the legislation to quickly cripple the financial resources fueling Russia’s war machine.
President Putin, who recently appeared in military uniform declaring Moscow’s intent to seize the remainder of Ukraine, has not yet issued a formal public statement regarding Trump’s sanctions waiver. However, the enthusiastic reception from his special envoy underscores the massive strategic relief the waiver provides to the Russian government.
