WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended President Donald Trump's decision to grant a 60-day waiver from sanctions linked to Russia, citing India as important partner to US, and its dependence on Russian energy, warning that imposing tariffs and sanctions simultaneously could have serious consequences for the global economy.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday (local time), Rubio said the administration needed time to assess the wider economic impact of the measures, particularly as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine were disrupting global energy supplies. His remarks came in response to criticism from Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who described the waiver as a mistake that would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Well, there are other countries - the problem is these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries - India, for example, and others," Rubio said. He said Trump wanted to use the 60-day period to examine the potential consequences of enforcing both sanctions and tariffs.
Rubio specifically acknowledged India's efforts to diversify its energy purchases while explaining why Washington considered an immediate disruption of Russian supplies difficult. "And then you've got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it's hard to pivot from one day to the next, but they're also an important ally and partner of the United States," he said. (IANS)
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