KABUL (Pajhwok): US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending the implementation of a sweeping new sanctions package targeting Russia, telling Congress the move was in the national interest, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Saturday.
The sanctions package had been approved by Congress with bipartisan support and signed into law by Trump last month, according to the report.
The measures were intended to increase economic pressure on Russia and restrict the financial resources Moscow uses to sustain its war against Ukraine.
The White House did not immediately explain how suspending the sanctions would serve US national interests, but said a report providing further details had been submitted to Congress.
Trump’s decision came a week after he announced an agreement to purchase diesel from Russia, saying the move was intended to lower global energy prices.
Trump said Russia would initially supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November.
The agreement has drawn criticism from some Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who have expressed concern that purchasing Russian fuel could bolster Moscow’s financial resources for its war against Ukraine.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, the United States and European countries have imposed various economic sanctions on Moscow.
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