--- title: "Trump Freezes Russia Sanctions: Congress Is Furious but Powerless to Respond" description: "Trump has frozen congressional sanctions against Russia, postponing them indefinitely. Lawmakers from both parties are furious but unable to respond quickly as chambers are on recess until November 3." date: 2026-10-18T03:52:15.733Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-freezes-russia-sanctions-congress-furious tags: [trump, russia-sanctions, congress, ukraine, lindsey-grahm-act] author: "Alexander Buran, Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Trump Freezes Russia Sanctions: Congress Is Furious but Powerless to Respond ![Ukrainian flag waving against the US Capitol dome under a blue sky](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/trump-zamorozil-sankcii-protiv-rossii-kongress-v-yarosti/trump-zamorozil-sankcii-protiv-rossii-kongress-v-yarosti-1.webp) ## Key Points - Trump signed an executive order late on October 16 to freeze Russia sanctions; the law was due to take effect on October 18. - The administration requested 60 days to assess the economic impact of sanctions, citing energy prices and the war in Iran. - Lawmakers from both parties sharply criticized the decision, but both chambers of Congress are in recess until the November 3 midterms. - Zelenskyy urged a public defense of the sanctions; Darlene Graham stated she would keep applying pressure on Russia. Late Friday evening, October 16, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing Russia sanctions passed by Congress. The core of the legislation—known as the Lindsey Graham Russia Sanctions Act—was scheduled to take effect on Sunday, October 18. The White House chief explained the decision by citing national security interests and made it clear that the restrictive measures have been postponed indefinitely. According to Associated Press reports cited by RBC-Ukraine, lawmakers from both parties expressed sharp dissatisfaction, but they are unlikely to respond swiftly to the president's move: both chambers of Congress are in recess until the November 3 midterm elections. ### What the Legislation Entailed The document, co-initiated by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who spent nearly a year persuading Trump to back it, mandated steep tariffs on countries purchasing large volumes of Russian oil and other energy resources. Washington aimed to cut off Kremlin energy export revenues, which lawmakers argue are used to finance the war. The Senate passed the bill 86 to 11, and the House of Representatives approved it on September 17 by a 262 to 159 vote. Trump signed the document a month ago, after which it was set to go into effect on a statutory timeline. ### Congressional Reaction: Bipartisan Criticism The freeze triggered a wave of criticism across party lines. Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated that «it is unacceptable for this administration to capitulate to the Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine.» His fellow party member John Cornyn emphasized that Lindsey Graham «would be horrified» by such a decision. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump's move «a deal with the devil» that «is getting dirtier by the minute.» Republican Rick Scott recalled that Russia is the aggressor and must be targeted economically. ### The Administration's Position: 60 Days for Review On Saturday, Trump told reporters that «nobody knows yet» his final decision on sanctions, adding: «It's a very good decision, it's going to be good for the country and, I think, for the world.» Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that the administration wants 60 days to evaluate the impact of sanctions on the global and US economies, citing high energy prices and the war in Iran. Thus, the formal enforcement date of the law has been postponed rather than canceled. ### Congressional Attempts and Kyiv's Reaction Democrat Gregory Meeks, who initially warned that Trump would not implement the law, introduced a bill to block the Russian diesel deal and stated that Congress «is not helpless.» Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged supporters of Ukraine to publicly defend the sanctions and expressed hope they would be reinstated. The late senator's sister, Darlene Graham, who took his Senate seat, said that in Trump's place she would continue pressing Russia: «I don't trust Putin, and I don't trust Russia.» ### Context: Not the First Concession The sanctions freeze is not the first step toward Moscow in recent weeks. The US Treasury opened the market for Russian diesel, which Ukraine decried as an unfair deal. Trump attributes rising diesel prices to Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries and demands they be halted. Against this backdrop, the freezing of the «Graham Act» is perceived as part of a broader administration policy, increasing pressure on Congress while limiting its options for a quick response before the recess ends. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Конгресс возмущен замораживанием санкций против РФ, но быстро ответить не сможет](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kongres-obureniy-zamorozhuvannyam-sanktsiy-1792295157.html) - Source: order dated Oct 16, implementation Oct 18, quotes from Tillis, Cornyn, Schumer, Scott, Rubio, Meeks, Zelenskyy, Darlene Graham; recess until Nov 3. - [Палата представителей США окончательно приняла закон об "адских санкциях" против РФ - детали](https://glavred.info/world/palata-predstaviteley-ssha-okonchatelno-prinyala-zakon-o-adskih-sankciyah-protiv-rf-detali-10797236.html) - Confirms House passage on Sept 17 (262 to 159), tariffs up to 100%, and Lindsey Graham's initiative. - [Конгресс принял законопроект сенатора Грэма о санкциях против России. Теперь его должен ...](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2026/09/17/23562967.shtml) - Confirms congressional approval of the bill tightening sanctions and imposing tariffs on energy buyers. - [Спасибо всем, кто с Украиной!: Зеленский поблагодарил Трампа и Конгресс США за усиление санкций ...](https://www.bagnet.org/news/politics/1403555/spasibo-vsem-kto-s-ukrainoy-zelenskiy-poblagodaril-trampa-i-kongress-ssha-za-usilenie-sanktsiy-protiv-rf) - Context: Zelenskyy previously thanked for sanctions, aligning with his current call to defend them. ## FAQ ### When was the Russia sanctions law scheduled to take effect? The core part of the law was set to go into effect on Sunday, October 18, 2026, but Trump signed an order freezing it late on October 16. ### Why can't Congress respond quickly to Trump's decision? Both chambers of Congress are on recess until the November 3 midterms, making a prompt legislative reaction impossible. ### How much time did the US administration request? Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration wants 60 days to assess the impact of sanctions on the global and US economies.