Don Beyer
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Trump suspends Graham Law Russia sanctions and lifts tariffs, straining ties with Zelensky
US President Donald Trump on 16 October 2025 signed an executive order suspending the implementation of sanctions and tariffs on Russia under the "Graham Law" (HR 5334), citing "the national interests of the United States." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a 60-day review would assess the impact on the US and global economies. The suspension came days before the 18 October deadline and was preceded by a 9 October phone call between Trump and Putin under which Russia is to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel fuel to the US and world markets. The decision escalated an already open dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over energy prices, intelligence sharing, arms supplies and access to SpaceX's Starlink and Starshield satellite networks. Zelensky accused the US of favouring Russia and said Kyiv would not stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure while Moscow continues to strike Ukraine. Secretary Rubio denied the White House had ordered restrictions on Starlink, calling the disruption a technical issue; Reuters, citing US and Western officials, reported the order to slow Starshield came from the White House, while The Telegraph and Axios reported Elon Musk proposed the bandwidth cut and Trump did not object.