President Donald Trump’s waiver of new Russia-related sanctions and tariffs is being treated as a 60-day review period, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, as the move drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday suspending key measures under a law passed last month to increase pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. The measures included tariffs on Russian goods and penalties on countries buying Russian oil and gas, and were due to take effect the following week. Rubio said the administration wants to assess how imposing them would affect the U.S. and global economies, particularly amid pressure on energy markets.
He pointed to conflicts affecting oil and diesel prices, while Trump said he had not yet announced a final decision and called the move good for the country and the world. The order did not set a 60-day expiry; Rubio described that period as time to evaluate the policy’s impact. Critics said the waiver risks easing pressure on Russia: Zelenskyy warned it could encourage President Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.