[UPDATE] Trump defends waiving Russia sanctions; Wright calls the diesel deal a peace 'carrot,' Rubio says the diesel would have sold anyway

Donald Trump signed an executive order late Friday, Oct. 16, waiving the Russia sanctions and tariffs in the Graham Act two days before they took effect. He signed that law, which sanctions Russia and Iran, on Sept. 18. His aides then gave conflicting reasons for the related deal that lets Russian diesel into the U.S. The president. On Truth Social, Trump said he did not want to “drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” The carrot. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the diesel deal “a carrot to try to end a war,” not an economic lifeline for Russia. (TS: the license itself asks for no ceasefire and no cut in attacks, per Treasury’s own text.) The pause. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “that diesel was going to be sold one way or the other.” He called the suspension a 60-day pause to study its effect on the U.S. and world economies. The pushback. Mike Pence said the waiver “dishonors the legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Graham.” Darline Graham (Sen-R South Carolina) succeeded her brother. She said: “I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia… because I don’t trust Putin and don’t trust Russia.” Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the order “an important and truly historic moment.” Still open. Rubio’s 60 days has no automatic end. The order keeps the waivers in force until Trump or his officials decide “further action is appropriate.”