Washington (USA), June 2: The United States wants to end the waivers that allow countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian oil as soon as possible, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said while discussing Washington's sanctions policy on Russia.
Responding to the US lawmakers, Rubio said that the decision ultimately rests with the US Treasury Department and depends on the circumstances at the time.
However, he stressed that the broader policy of the United States has been to sanction Russian oil exports.
"We would like to end it as soon as we possibly can, because the underlying policy of this country has been to sanction their oil," Rubio said.
The United States administration has utilized a combination of temporary waivers and punitive tariffs to pressure India and other nations over their imports of Russian oil.
A temporary 30-day sanctions waiver that allowed nations to process Russian crude expired in May 17, making direct oil purchases increasingly difficult to execute without penalty.
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He noted that the waivers currently in place are time-limited measures intended to help increase global oil supply. According to Rubio, repeatedly extending such waivers would undermine their temporary nature.
"These are time-limited waivers for the purpose of opening up more global supply. I understand that, but if we continue to extend them, they're not time limited," he added.
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Rubio's remarks indicate that the US administration remains committed to its sanctions policy against Russian energy exports while reviewing the future of exemptions granted to some countries.
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