US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday (local time) stated that President Donald Trump wants to use the 60-day period to assess the impact of sanctions and tariffs before deciding on the next steps. His statement comes after Trump on Friday temporarily waived sanctions, trade restrictions and import duties under the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, putting key penalties on hold.

Rubio Explains Why Trump Paused Sanctions

Speaking to reporters ahead of his departure for a week-long tour of Uzbekistan and India, Rubio said the administration wants to study how imposing both sanctions and tariffs could affect the global economy as well as the US economy. He noted that the sanctions would not only target Russia but would also involve tariffs on several countries, including India.

“The problem is these sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries, India, for example, and others. And so I think 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.

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Rubio Highlights India's Continued Russian Energy Imports

Emphasising particularly on India, Rubio said the country had voluntarily diversified its energy sources but continued to obtain a substantial amount of energy from Russia. He noted that shifting energy supplies from one country to another could not happen overnight. Rubio also described India as an important ally and partner of the US, adding that the 60-day period would allow the administration to study the situation and determine the right combination of sanctions and tariffs.

“Countries like India, for example, 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. So, the president, we need that period of time to sort of study all this and figure out what the right combination is,” Rubio added.

The waiver is expected to provide relief to India, one of the major buyers of Russian crude oil as it reduces the immediate threat of additional US tariffs under the Graham Act on Indian goods. Meanwhile, Rubio is set to visit India on October 20 as part of a trip that also includes Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The trip will mark his second official visit to India this year, as he had previously visited India in May.

During his India leg, Rubio is scheduled to visit Mumbai and Jamnagar, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening bilateral ties, energy cooperation and commercial investment.

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