Rubio explains why US is delaying sanctions against Russia by two months

Postponement of restrictions

US President Donald Trump signed an order delaying the implementation of sanctions against Russia under the so-called “Graham Law” by 60 days. This decision allows the administration to thoroughly analyse the potential impact of such restrictions on both the American and the global economies.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this while speaking to journalists.

Complexity of the legislative framework

According to Rubio, the law, which provides for “hellish sanctions” against Russia and Iran, contains restrictions that concern not only the Russian Federation. This is why the US government needs additional time to make a well-founded decision regarding its implementation.

“The problem is that these sanctions concerned not only Russia. They provide for tariffs on a number of countries - for example, India and others. So I believe the president wants to use this 60-day period to analyse what the introduction of both sanctions and tariffs would mean for the global economy and even for the US economy,” the Secretary of State explained.

Rubio added that at the time the bill was adopted, one of the reasons for including exceptions in it was the understanding that it would take some time to study all aspects of the issue. The Trump administration needs this period to “take all of this into account and weigh all the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’”.

The example of India and the energy market

Citing an example of a complex situation, Rubio mentioned India, which, despite voluntary diversification of supplies, still receives a significant share of energy resources from Russia.

In response to a journalist’s question about whether this decision could be considered a “gift” to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the Secretary of State noted that Russian diesel fuel “would have been sold one way or another”.

“The only difference is how much of it the US would have received. So this is not an unprecedented case. If you recall, a few months ago we also granted a 60-day exception regarding Russian oil when tense situations arose in the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Interconnection of global conflicts

Marco Rubio emphasised that modern conflicts in the world are closely interconnected and can therefore generate uncertainty in the global energy market.

“So all these issues need to be resolved delicately and carefully, as they are all - they are all intertwined now. It is no longer just about the Strait of Hormuz. It is what is happening with Saudi Arabia, and the uncertainty that it generates. It is also what is happening between Russia and Ukraine, and the restrictions that this places on global energy supplies,” the US Secretary of State stressed.