US President Donald Trump issued an executive order on October 16, 2026, indefinitely waiving significant sanctions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, just two days before the legislation was to take effect. This decision followed President Trump's October 9 announcement of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel to US and global markets, committing to over 300,000 tons immediately and potentially up to 3 million tons per month.

This series of actions by the US administration directly impacts American foreign policy, global energy markets, and Ukraine's military situation, sparking widespread debate and criticism from allies and lawmakers.

The Sanctions Waiver and Diesel Deal

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, ratified on September 18, aimed to impose severe tariffs and restrictions on Russia's energy sector and on countries importing Russian oil and gas. These measures included potential additional tariffs of up to 500% on Russian goods. President Trump's executive order, citing "national security" concerns, suspended these new restrictions, including those on Russian financial institutions and energy transactions. This prevented the immediate implementation of substantial new economic pressures Congress intended.

The diesel deal, announced a week prior, involved Russia partially lifting its own diesel export ban on October 10. To facilitate this, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 135, temporarily suspending sanctions on Russian diesel deliveries until April 7, 2027. President Trump stated the rationale was to reduce escalating US fuel prices, which had reached an average of $6.18 per gallon.

Starshield Disruptions and Reactions

Between October 12 and 14, Ukrainian military forces reported sudden difficulties with Starshield, a military version of the Starlink satellite internet service, experiencing speed limits that disrupted drone operations and air defenses. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed these restrictions were a "planned operation" and a "message from the American government". SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated on X that Starshield systems are "owned and controlled by the US government," and "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS". However, US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, denied deliberate involvement, attributing disruptions to technical problems. Bessent labeled Zelenskyy's accusations as "reckless".

President Zelenskyy strongly condemned both the diesel deal and the sanctions waiver, calling the latter a "mistake" that "definitely helps only the Russians". He called the diesel agreement a "weak one" that "plays into Russia's hands". Conversely, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the waiver as "an important and truly historic moment". The sanctions waiver triggered widespread outrage among US lawmakers from both parties, who criticized Trump's actions as "reckless," "irresponsible," and a "gift to Vladimir Putin".

What we could not confirm

Whether the Starshield disruptions were deliberately ordered by the US government to send a message to Ukraine.