‘Putin cannot be trusted’: Mike Johnson warned WH of ‘unintended consequences’ over Trump’s Russia sanctions
WASHINGTON, DC: As the Trump administration’s move to ease pressure on Moscow sparks bipartisan outrage, an unexpected caution has emerged from within its own ranks
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) has revealed that he previously pushed the White House to contemplate the "unintended consequences" of giving Russia sanctions relief as its bloody war in Ukraine unfolds.
Amid a diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order waiving sanctions on Russia that were due to take effect under a legislative package championed by former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Speaker Johnson acknowledges Republican outrage over Trump’s move
The 54-year-old House Speaker appeared on Fox News’ 'Sunday Morning Futures' on Sunday, October 18, when host Larry Kudlow asked him whether he wants to waive the tariffs or forgo the move.
“We understand that Putin cannot be trusted. He demonstrates that over and over and over,” Johnson replied.
He acknowledged that several Republican lawmakers serving on the House Intelligence and Foreign Affairs committees had raised concerns about the administration's decision.
"I told the White House team that we need to talk about it, and, I think, carefully consider the unintended consequences that may ensue from that," Johnson said.
Johnson said he had yet to speak directly with Trump, as both had been travelling extensively, but expressed confidence that the president would carefully consider the implications of his decision.
"He has two major objectives, as you know ... every day he wants to keep America safe, and he wants to bring down the cost of living for every American," Johnson said. "He thinks outside the box with creative ideas all the time, and he carefully evaluates those.
"So I think the right decision will be made here in the end,” he continued.
Trump defends his move to ease Russian sanctions
Trump’s decision has drawn bipartisan blowback, with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., questioning why the administration would bypass sanctions legislation that passed the Senate 86-11.
"It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day," Tillis wrote on X.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., accused Trump of "prolonging the war, not ending it."
Trump defended the waiver in a Truth Social post, arguing that diplomatic flexibility is necessary to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The president said he was "in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine" and did not want to push Russia away from the negotiating table.
My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way. Lastly, Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this, but Russia is, nevertheless, sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World. Zelenskyy doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did. He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now. His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead. I WANT THIS WAR END! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP ( TS: Oct 18 2026, 4:36 PM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 18, 2026
Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a similar move, theorizing that the sanctions relief could motivate Russia to “tone down” the war in Ukraine due to a desire to keep up the diesel exports.
“This is pressuring Russia. Russia does not have diesel to export. The only way they can get additional diesel to export is if they tone down the conflict with Ukraine,” Wright told CNN’s 'State of the Union.'
“They have to either get an energy ceasefire, they have to either end the war, or they have to reduce their war efforts, so they have additional diesel to export.”
