Yesterday at 20:03
U.S. President Donald Trump may soon decide to impose tougher sanctions targeting buyers of Russian oil and Russia’s banking sector, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday on Fox Radio, according to Ukrinform.
“The president has a lot of options,” Rubio explained. “As everyone knows, he can impose secondary sanctions on the sale of Russian oil, which makes up a huge portion of the country’s income. There are also sectoral banking sanctions, which would be highly effective.”
Rubio noted that Trump has waited over six months for signs of progress.
“This week… we once again spoke with the Russian side — not with Putin, but with key representatives — hoping to find a path to peace. But there’s been no progress,” he said.
According to Rubio, Trump is frustrated by the contrast between Moscow’s “promising” words during talks and the reality on the ground:
“After what seem like productive conversations, the next night more people are killed, more cities are bombed — even those far from the front line.”
Rubio stressed that:
“The best path forward is to stop the shooting and start talking. But we don’t see genuine interest from the Russian side.”
When asked about recent threats from senior Russian official Dmitry Medvedev in response to U.S. ultimatums, Rubio downplayed Medvedev’s relevance:
“He’s not a decision-maker. He hasn’t participated in any of the meetings or negotiations we’ve held… I wouldn’t consider him part of the decision-making process. But yes, he holds an official post and says provocative things.”
Rubio also emphasized that the U.S. does not see a military confrontation with Russia as a viable option:
“These are the two largest militaries in the world, both with nuclear weapons — the risk would be far too great,” he said.
“That said, Russia’s conventional forces are no match for the United States and many European countries — as this war against Ukraine has shown, even when Ukraine’s army wasn’t as strong as it is today.”
Rubio was also asked about Trump’s recent announcement of 25% tariffs on Indian goods, set to take effect August 1, along with penalties for India’s purchase of Russian oil.
“India’s purchase of Russian energy is certainly disappointing,” Rubio said.
“Despite having many other oil suppliers, India continues to buy so much from Russia that it essentially helps fund the war and enables it to go on.”
Earlier this week, President Trump shortened his ultimatum to Russia to 10 days, after which the U.S. will impose tariffs and other restrictions.
