Trump's Russia Sanctions Waiver Draws Fire as Energy Chief Defends It

Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to waive new sanctions and tariffs on Russia, arguing the move is meant to help end the war in Ukraine and does not prop up Moscow's economy. Critics, including the senator who succeeded the sanctions bill's namesake and Ukraine's president, say the waiver weakens pressure on Vladimir Putin.

The dispute comes as diesel prices in the U.S. remain high, and as the administration's separate deal to import Russian diesel draws bipartisan criticism, according to ABC News.

What the waiver does

Late Friday, Trump signed an executive order waiving the new sanctions two days before they were due to take effect, ABC News reported. The penalties were required under a bill named for the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, which Trump signed a month to the day before Wright's Sunday interview.

The order followed Trump's announcement a week earlier of a deal for the U.S. to eventually import millions of tons of diesel from Russia. A 2022 law explicitly bars the U.S. from importing Russian energy. Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries, saying those attacks push prices higher.

The administration's case

Speaking to ABC's Martha Raddatz on "This Week," Wright described the waiver as an incentive for peace. “It's not an economic lifeline for Russia,” he said, calling it a carrot meant to end the war.

Wright argued that Russia can only benefit if it exports more diesel. To do that, he said, it would have to use less diesel at home, scale back its war effort, or repair its refineries. In his telling, the repairs are only possible through a peace agreement with Ukraine, an energy ceasefire or another step toward peace.

He also rejected the idea that Trump is giving in to Putin. Wright said sanctions on Russia have never been as strong as under this administration. He noted that the war is in its fifth year and has caused a million and a half casualties without ending. Trump, he said, will not give up on stopping it.

What critics say

Darline Graham, who replaced her brother in the Senate, said Saturday that she disagrees with Trump. She said she would keep pressure on Russia to end the war and bring down gas prices, adding that she does not trust Putin or Russia.

Zelenskyy called the decision wrong. “It definitely helps only the Russians,” he said, according to ABC. He earlier described the diesel deal as a birthday gift to Putin. On "This Week" last Sunday, he also disputed the idea that Ukraine's actions are behind U.S. fuel costs, saying prices are rising because of the war in the Middle East.

ABC News reported that some lawmakers have accused Trump of capitulating to Putin, and that the diesel deal has prompted backlash from both parties.

Why it matters for fuel prices and U.S. policy

The argument plays out against a backdrop of costly fuel. ABC reported that diesel prices across the U.S. average above $6 a gallon, and that Americans have dealt with higher gas and diesel prices for months. According to ABC, prices began rising after the U.S. went to war with Iran in late February.

Wright acknowledged public frustration over those costs, saying the administration is working on several fronts to address them. He also said Democrats have spent 15 years doing everything they can to make energy more expensive, a political claim he made in the interview.

The disagreement touches several questions at once: how the U.S. should pressure Russia, whether the 2022 import ban should bend while prices are high, and what is actually driving fuel costs. The administration points to the war in Ukraine and refinery strikes, while Zelenskyy points to the conflict in the Middle East. The reports do not settle which factor matters most, and the two sides continue to offer competing explanations.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News