US President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on the waiver of sanctions and tariffs related to Russian exports, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration would take up to 60 days to assess their economic impact.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving key sanctions and tariffs under the Graham Act, which he signed last month following pressure from lawmakers seeking to increase pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
The measures, which include tariffs on Russian goods and penalties on countries importing Russian oil and gas, were scheduled to take effect next week. Although Friday’s order did not specify the duration of the waiver, Rubio said Trump had opted for a 60-day review period.
“A lot of you don’t know what my decision is yet, but we’ll figure it out, and you’ll figure it out,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday.
Rubio said the administration wanted to evaluate the potential consequences of imposing the sanctions and tariffs on both the global economy and the US economy.
The decision comes just weeks before the November midterm elections, as Trump faces pressure over rising energy prices amid disruptions to global oil supplies caused by the war with Iran.
The Graham Act also calls for tariffs on goods from countries that import Russian energy. Rubio highlighted the implications for India, a key US partner that has diversified its energy sources but remains heavily dependent on Russian oil.
The waiver drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who warned that it could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.
Senator Darline Graham, a South Carolina Republican whose late brother Lindsey Graham championed the legislation, also criticised Trump’s decision. She said she planned to discuss the matter with him during his campaign visit next week.
“Personally, I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia,” she told reporters on Saturday, adding that she did not trust Putin or Russia.
Diesel Supplies
Rubio also defended a separate agreement with Russia to increase diesel supplies to global markets, as fuel prices rise amid the war with Iran and disruptions to energy supplies.
Trump said Russia would initially supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the United States, with further shipments expected in November and beyond.
“That diesel is going to be sold one way or the other,” Rubio said, adding that the key difference was how much of the supply would reach the United States.
Rubio said the diesel agreement and the sanctions waiver reflected the challenges of managing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, both of which have disrupted global energy supplies.
“These conflicts around the world are starting to crash into each other,” he said.
Source: Reuters
