With the new US law taking effect, Trump waived several Russian sanctions

Trump says parts of the new law aimed at punishing Moscow for its war on Ukraine are against America's national interest.

US President Donald Trump has used his presidential powers to block several sanctions against Russia recently passed by the US Congress in an attempt to punish the country for its war with Ukraine.

In an executive order Friday night, Trump said lifting some sanctions was in America's "national interest." Trump signed the sanctions bill in September, and it was supposed to take effect on Sunday.

It comes days after Trump said the US would import Russian diesel to lower US energy prices ahead of November's midterm elections, which will decide which party controls Congress.

The plan shocked lawmakers and sparked a bipartisan backlash.

The US Sanctions Act is named after South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was one of the staunchest defenders of Ukraine in Washington before his death on July 11.

The law targeted Russia's economy and gave Trump broad powers to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on Russia's top five buyers of oil and gas — notably China and India.

In addition, the law includes sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior figures in the Russian government, as well as banks and other financial institutions, and a "shadow fleet" of Russian oil tankers used to circumvent existing sanctions.

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 20 US lawmakers issued a letter urging Trump to respect the law, which is set to take effect on October 18.

Lawmakers thanked Trump for signing the sanctions bill and urged him to fully and faithfully implement the law.

The lawmakers said it "will be decisive in forcing Putin to take peace talks seriously" and called on the Trump administration to "implement Graham Act sanctions as soon as possible and without delay."

Last week, Trump announced that he had a phone call with Putin and agreed to buy diesel from Moscow.

US allies criticized the move, worried that it could help Russia in its war effort.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the deal a gift to Putin that amounted to "an investment in a war that needs to end."