US President Donald Trump, by suspending a law adopted a month earlier on broad sanctions and new customs tariffs against Russia, is siding with authoritarianism and to some extent betraying democracy, political scientist and historian Kārlis Daukšts said. TVNET/LETA published his comments on 18 October 2026.
Daukšts said that, in essence, the decision matches what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as a certain betrayal of both Ukraine and democracy. He stressed that Trump is thereby taking the side of authoritarianism and acknowledging that he is for authoritarianism.
Daukšts added that the decision is creating tension inside both of the largest US parties. He explained that, before the midterm elections, Trump needs to present himself as a strong leader and a defender of democracy, yet that sits in contradiction with his actions. He stressed that Trump’s acquiescence to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not make a positive impression inside the country.
Asked how the decision affects Europe, Daukšts said very large discussions are under way between the leadership of the European Union and NATO. At the same time, he said, a speech by the commander of NATO forces in Europe, US General Alex Grinkevich, at the Warsaw summit points to a defined set of internal contradictions in the US defence, or war, ministry. He stressed that the contradictions exist, but that it is hard to judge whether they will develop far enough to affect Ukraine.
It has already been reported that Trump suspended the law on broad sanctions and new customs tariffs against Russia shortly before it was due to enter into force. The new sanctions and tariffs are paused until further notice under an executive order published on Friday. Trump said he was acting in the national interests of the United States.
Trump signed the bill on broad US sanctions against Russia on 18 September, after it passed the US Congress, in order to pressure Russia over its war against Ukraine. Under the law, the sanctions and tariffs were to take effect automatically within 30 days of signing unless the president decided otherwise. Trump suspended them shortly before the deadline set by Congress.
The new sanctions would have targeted Russia’s energy and defence sectors, Putin and other top officials, and Moscow’s tanker “shadow fleet”, which is used to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western countries. They would also have given Trump authority to set customs tariffs of up to 100 percent on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China, in order to reduce Moscow’s revenues used to finance the war.
The law is also directed at companies and foreign actors that support the Russian army, and it expands sanctions against Iran. It was named after Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who had sought its adoption since April 2025 and died in July this year.