Trump Pauses Russia Sanctions for 60 Days to Assess Global Economic Impact
US President Donald Trump has suspended sweeping sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia for 60 days to assess their potential impact on the global and American economies, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
Rubio, speaking on Saturday, said the pause would allow the administration to examine the economic consequences of imposing the restrictions, which could affect countries beyond Russia.
“The president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyse what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy,” Rubio said.
He added that conflicts around the world, including the US war on Iran and attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, were putting pressure on global energy prices and affecting national economies.
“These conflicts around the world are starting to crash into each other, and they’re having an impact not just on global oil and diesel prices,” Rubio said.
US Lawmakers Criticise Decision
Trump’s decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers across party lines after he signed an executive order on Friday exempting Russia from economic restrictions approved by Congress in September.
The legislation provided for sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs and financial institutions. It also authorised Trump to impose restrictions on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, with the aim of reducing funding for supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticised the exemption in a post on X, describing it as “beyond irresponsible”.
“If the President wants to actually bring down energy prices, he can do it by solving the Iran problem, not by doing a solid for Vladimir Putin,” Tillis said.
Senator Ted Cruz, another senior Republican, also described the move as “a mistake” in comments aired on Fox News.
Diesel Prices and Energy Supply
The suspension follows an agreement between Trump and Putin to allow Russian diesel exports in exchange for easing the sanctions.
Rising diesel prices linked to the conflict involving Iran have begun affecting the US economy, with higher living costs a concern for voters ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
Rubio defended the decision, arguing that Russian diesel would reach the global market regardless of the restrictions, although the volume available to the United States could differ.
He stressed the importance of diesel to road transport, agriculture and construction.
Trump said on Saturday that the decision would benefit the United States and the wider world, although his remarks did not clarify whether the administration had reached a final position on the restrictions.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern that Washington could ease additional sanctions on Russia, saying Trump’s move “rewards” Putin.
