The day after suspending sanctions and tariffs related to Russian exports, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had not yet made a final decision on the matter. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials needed more time to assess the situation, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Details
On Saturday, Rubio said the president would take up to 60 days to analyze the economic consequences of the sanctions and tariffs related to Russia, which he had suspended the previous day.
"Many of you still do not know what my decision will be, but we will figure it all out — and you will find out too," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The decision to suspend the measures was made just weeks before the midterm elections in November. Trump is under pressure over high energy prices, while the war with Iran is disrupting global oil supplies.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order suspending key sanctions and tariffs provided for under a law known as the "Graham Act." He signed the law last month under pressure from lawmakers seeking to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
The measures, which include tariffs on Russian goods and penalties against countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, were due to take effect next week. Friday's order did not specify how long the suspension would last; however, Rubio said Trump had decided to allow 60 days to review the matter.
"I think the president wants to use this 60-day period to analyze what imposing the sanctions and tariffs would mean for the global economy, as well as for the U.S. economy itself," Rubio told reporters before departing for Uzbekistan.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the "Graham Act" provides not only for sanctions against Russia, but also tariffs on goods from countries that import Russian energy. Rubio cited India as an example — an important U.S. partner that, although it has diversified its energy sources, remains heavily dependent on Russian oil.
The executive order signed on Friday drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He warned that such a move would give Russian dictator Vladimir Putin more confidence and prolong the war. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, whose late brother Lindsey Graham was the initiator of the bill bearing his name, said she disagreed with Trump's decision. She plans to discuss it with him next week, when he comes to support her election campaign.
"Personally, I believe the pressure on Russia should continue," she told reporters on Saturday. "After all, I trust neither Putin nor Russia."
In addition
Rubio also defended a separate agreement between the United States and Russia to increase diesel fuel supplies to global markets. The move is intended to lower fuel prices, which have risen amid the war with Iran and disruptions to energy supplies.
According to Trump, under the agreement, Russia will initially ship more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel fuel to the United States; further deliveries are expected in November and thereafter.
Trump traded Ukrainian lives for Russian diesel ahead of the elections - Le Monde18.10.26, 07:31
"This diesel fuel will be sold one way or another," Rubio said. "The only difference is how much of it will go to the United States."
Rubio added that the diesel fuel agreement and the decision to grant exemptions from the sanctions demonstrate how difficult it is to resolve the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, which have caused disruptions to global energy supplies.
"These conflicts in different corners of the world are beginning to intersect and overlap," he said.