Trump waived Congress's new Russia sanctions two days before they took effect. Zelensky called it a "sanctions blackout."

President Donald Trump has blocked a new round of U.S. sanctions on Russia two days before they were due to take effect, issuing an executive order Friday night that suspends the measures in the name of the American "national interest," according to reporting by the BBC and CNN.

The sanctions law — passed by Congress in September and signed by Trump himself — was championed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and required the administration to impose the measures by Oct. 18. It gave the White House sweeping powers, including tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, most significantly China and India, plus sanctions on Russian financial institutions, energy businesses, senior Russian figures including Vladimir Putin, and the "shadow fleet" of vessels used to evade existing embargoes.

The White House waiver sent official confirmation to Congress that delaying the sanctions currently aligns with U.S. national interests, Kyiv24 reported, citing the published decree.

Zelensky: "sanctions blackout"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the move on Telegram, calling it a "sanctions blackout." He said it was "unfortunate the US has decided to completely disregard" the sanctions law, the BBC reported. "The American sanctions blackout, the easing of pressure on the aggressor... only encourages him to strike further," Zelensky wrote.

The decision landed at an especially fraught moment: Russia is hammering Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter, Zelensky said, aiming to leave millions without electricity and heat.

Relations between Washington and Kyiv have frayed all week. The U.S. struck a controversial deal to import Russian diesel, Ukraine accused the administration of withdrawing key military support, Trump said Zelensky was "more difficult to deal with" than Putin, and Zelensky retorted at an EU summit that it was "nice to be among real leaders," according to the BBC.

What it means for Canada

Canada typically moves its Russia sanctions in lockstep with the U.S. and the EU, and Ottawa has been one of Kyiv's most vocal backers. A unilateral American waiver complicates that allied pressure — and the Russian diesel deal undercuts the energy-pricing argument Canada has used to push allies off Russian fuel.

The Kremlin, for its part, praised Trump's decision as "important and truly historic," the BBC reported, while U.S. Democrats such as Virginia Congressman Don Beyer accused the president of capitulating to Moscow.