President Donald Trump has set aside most of the new Russia sanctions and tariffs Congress sent him last month. He says he wants to keep the pressure in reserve so that Vladimir Putin will come to the negotiating table. Several of his own party’s senators say that approach risks telling Moscow the penalties will never arrive.

The disagreement matters because it involves a war that has killed civilians and tested the West’s resolve for years. It also raises a question for Christians who pray for the nation’s leaders: how should a government pursue peace and justice when the two seem to pull in different directions?

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From Fox News: 

Over roughly a week, the administration waived most of the new Russia sanctions and tariffs enacted last month while separately easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports, moves one foreign policy expert described as Trump’s most significant effort yet to unwind economic pressure on Moscow.

“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,” Trump wrote Sunday.

“Putin’s theory of victory in Ukraine for a long time has been that at some point the West, particularly the United States, will get tired of the costs of confrontation with Russia and support for Ukraine,” Brands said.

The sanctions come from the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which Trump signed in September. It calls for steep tariffs on Russia and on major buyers of Russian energy. It also calls for sanctions on Russian financial institutions and on foreign entities that do significant business with them. Congress built in a presidential waiver, and Trump used it. In his certification to Congress, he said imposing the penalties now would impede peace efforts. He also left open the option of imposing them later to encourage a resolution. Sanctions that predate the law remain in place.

Republican criticism has been sharp. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who helped lead the bill and attended the signing, said now is the time to turn up the pressure. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Congress timed the bill in coordination with the White House. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called the decision “beyond irresponsible,” and noted the Senate passed the law 86-11. The administration has also eased restrictions on Russian diesel to relieve global fuel prices. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has described sanctions relief as a “carrot” to encourage Russia to de-escalate. Hal Brands of the American Enterprise Institute said the diesel relief is worth little financially to Moscow. He said the larger concern is the signal it sends.

Scripture says the ruler “does not bear the sword in vain” and is “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4, ESV). That tells us government has a God-given duty to restrain aggression and defend the innocent, and that peace is never bought by ignoring evil. Proverbs 21:1 also reminds us that “the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord.” Intercessors can pray with confidence that God directs leaders, even when Americans of good faith disagree about strategy. Pray that President Trump and Congress will have the wisdom to pursue a peace that is just and lasting. Pray that the strength of American resolve will be clear to adversaries, and that the lives of Ukrainian civilians will be protected. Pray, too, for unity among conservatives, so that a disagreement over tactics does not weaken the nation’s witness for freedom.

Let’s pray for President Trump, that God would give him discernment in every negotiation and protect him from deception; for Sens. Britt, Capito, Tillis, and Graham, and all in Congress who are weighing how to hold Russia accountable; for an end to the killing in Ukraine and comfort for grieving families; for the Christians suffering under the war on both sides of the front line; and for Russia’s leaders to turn from aggression. May the Lord establish peace rooted in truth and justice.

How are you praying about this issue? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.

(Excerpt from Fox News. Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok).