Republicans Join Democrats in Pushing Back on Trump's Russia Sanctions Waivers

President Donald Trump's recent moves to ease economic pressure on Russia while increasing criticism of Ukraine have drawn opposition from members of both parties in Congress, a split that could complicate his agenda after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Reuters reported Thursday.

Seeking to draw Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Trump has lifted sanctions on Russian diesel exports and waived newly enacted sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, banks and state enterprises, according to Reuters. The BBC reported that the diesel move allowed Russia to release tonnes of diesel "to the American and global marketplace," weeks after Trump signed legislation authorizing new sanctions and tariffs on nations that import Russian oil and gas.

Seventeen Democrats and five Republicans in the House urged Trump in an Oct. 15 letter to "apply the Graham law's sanctions to their fullest extent and without delay," adding that Putin "has repeatedly shown that he responds to pressure, not goodwill," Reuters reported. The law, championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, passed Congress overwhelmingly and was signed by Trump in mid-September.

The Republican signers were Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Michael McCaul of Texas, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Dan Newhouse of Washington, according to Reuters. An Oct. 13 letter signed by five senior Senate Republicans and six Democrats also criticized the diesel agreement.

Fitzpatrick went further. In a post on X on Monday, he wrote that any move to limit the use of "Starshield" intelligence to warn Kyiv of Russian attacks would be "fully investigated" by Congress, with "harsh and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head," Reuters reported. Reuters reported last week that a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations was throttled following an order from inside the White House. The BBC reported that U.S. officials have denied requesting a slowdown and that a bipartisan group of senators has called for an investigation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a strong Trump ally, hinted at discomfort. Asked on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" whether he supported the sanctions waiver, Johnson said, "Congress voted on this decisively," and said he was in discussions with Republican members of the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees. "We understand that Putin cannot be trusted," he said, adding that he told White House officials, "We need to talk about it and I think carefully consider the unintended consequences that may ensue" from putting the sanctions on hold, according to Reuters.

The White House defended the approach. "President Trump has been clear that he wants to see this brutal war come to an end," spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Reuters, adding that Trump "retains the ability to exercise these authorities at any time if he determines that doing so would advance national interests."

Some Republicans back the president's pivot. Sen. Ted Budd of North Carolina, a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Reuters at a Trump rally in his state that the diesel agreement was important to keep Moscow in negotiations. "It's a very minimal dollar amount actually to Russia, but it's enough of a fig leaf to get them to the table to bring an end to the aggression against Ukraine," he said.

The friction matters because of what Congress must do after the election. Lawmakers will try to pass the annual defense authorization bill and government spending through Sept. 30, 2027, including appropriations for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, and could use those bills to reverse or alter Trump's Russia policies, Reuters reported. Trump could veto such bills, setting up a showdown.

James Lindsay, a U.S. foreign policy expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Reuters the backlash was not surprising given the Senate's bipartisan votes on the Graham bill, but said legislating faces major obstacles. "Even if Congress can overcome its institutional divisions, its partisan divisions and overcome a presidential veto ... that's no guarantee the president will act or observe that constraint," he said.

The congressional dispute is unfolding alongside renewed diplomacy. Envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, and a Kremlin aide said a new round of U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks could be held around Nov. 10 in Abu Dhabi, the BBC reported.