Anger in the US Congress after Trump's decision to exempt Russia from sanctions

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US President Donald Trump's sudden decision to exempt Russia from sanctions, days before they were due to take effect, angered members of Congress on Saturday, after the US Parliament approved the legislation by an overwhelming majority and with bipartisan support, in a show of US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Lawmakers from both parties sharply criticized Trump's executive order late Friday, the latest in a series of measures taken by the Republican president that brought the United States closer to Russia led by Vladimir Putin.

Trump recently announced an agreement with Putin to import Russian diesel fuel, in a limited attempt to reduce high fuel prices in the United States, which cast a shadow over the midterm elections scheduled for November 3.

“This goes beyond the bounds of irresponsibility,” Republican Senator Thom Tillis, from North Carolina, wrote on social media, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his hope that the sanctions that were scheduled to take effect on Sunday, targeting the Russian economy, could be reactivated.

Tillis recalled that the law was approved in the Senate by a majority of 86 votes to 11, considering that “it is unacceptable for this American administration to submit” to the Russian President.

Tillis believed that if Trump wanted to actually reduce energy prices, he should end the war with Iran, which is largely blamed for high fuel prices, “instead of providing a favor to Vladimir Putin,” as he put it.

In turn, Republican Senator John Cornyn, from Texas, said, “Lindsey would be shocked,” referring to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, who worked tirelessly on the bill before his death this summer. The bill is known as the Lindsey Graham Russia Sanctions Act.

For his part, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, representing New York, said in a statement: “By providing support that keeps the Russian economy alive, Trump’s deal (with Russia)... gets worse day by day,” as he put it.

For his part, Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, said in an interview with the Associated Press: “I think it is clear that Russia is the aggressor, and we must do everything we can to put economic pressure on Russia. So this is not the first thing I would do.”

Trump's moves come at a time when Ukraine is preparing to face a harsh winter, amid continuing Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, which aim to cut off heating and electricity to civilians.

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose relations with Trump have been characterized by tension despite maintaining close ties with American lawmakers, urged his supporters to publicly declare in favor of imposing sanctions.

Later Saturday, Trump told reporters that he had not yet made a final decision regarding sanctions on Russia, despite signing an executive order on Friday evening that was based on considerations related to American national interests. He added during a fundraising dinner at his residence in Florida: “We will find out, and you will find out, too. But it is a very right decision, and it will benefit the country, and I think it is good for the world.”

In the same context, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the President intends to use the sixty-day period to evaluate the global and local economic impacts resulting from the proposed sanctions on Russia and other countries, in light of the current customs tariffs and rising energy prices. He added: "We need that period to study all these variables and reach the appropriate formula."