Rubio on US sanctions against Russia: options understood, but decision up to Trump
Photo: US secretary of state Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
The United States understands what sanctions should be imposed against Russia, but the final decision will be made by President Donald Trump.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this in an interview with Fox News.
"Well, we fully understand the sanctions that we have available to us, and at some point, the President may decide to do that," Rubio said when asked how long Trump might take to introduce restrictions.
According to the Secretary of State, the decision on sanctions rests with the president, and he is "not going to go around and artificially announce a time frame."
Rubio also reminded that President Trump expects similar action from Europe.
"There are still countries in Europe that are buying Russian products, including Russian oil. And what the President has challenged our European partners is to impose the sanctions themselves that they’re asking us to impose," Rubio said.
The secretary of state rejected suggestions that the Alaska summit emboldened Putin, leading to more aggressive strikes on Ukraine and drone attacks on Polish territory.
New Trump sanctions
Recently, Trump said his patience with Russia is running out quickly. He is ready to impose powerful sanctions against Russia, but added that this will only happen after his NATO allies take similar steps.
