The day after US President Donald Trump waived sanctions and tariffs on Russian exports, he stated he had not yet made a final decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that officials wanted more time to assess the situation. Trump will take up to 60 days to evaluate the economic effects of the waived sanctions and tariffs, which were set to take effect next week. This decision comes amid high energy prices and the global oil supply disruptions caused by the war with Iran.
Trump signed an executive order to waive sanctions from the Graham Act, which aims to put pressure on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. The waiver’s duration was not specified, but Rubio indicated a 60-day review period to analyze the potential impact of both sanctions and tariffs on the global and US economies. Challenges include the Graham Act’s requirement for tariffs on goods from countries that import Russian energy, affecting partners like India, which still relies on Russian oil.
The decision faced criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who argued it would empower Russian President Vladimir Putin and extend the conflict. Senator Darline Graham expressed her disagreement with Trump’s decision and plans to discuss it with him during his campaign visit.
Additionally, Rubio defended a separate agreement with Russia to increase diesel supplies, aimed at reducing fuel prices affected by the war with Iran. This arrangement allows Russia to supply significant amounts of diesel to the US, indicating the complexities of balancing conflicts affecting global energy supplies.
With information from Reuters
