China · Donald Trump · Marco Rubio · Russia · Ukraine · Republicans · Axios
Wright calls Trump's diesel agreement a peace incentive. Rubio confirms Russia would sell anyway.
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President Trump's top aides offered sharply different explanations this weekend of his Russian diesel deal amid a barrage of bipartisan criticism calling the move a gift to Russia.
Key facts
- Yet Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a different explanation Saturday, saying Russia would have sold the diesel regardless of Trump's intervention
- That diesel was going to be sold one way or the other," Rubio told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, per a State Department transcript
- John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the late Lindsey Graham "would be appalled
- Late Friday, Trump waived new sanctions against Russia and tariffs on top buyers of Russian energy that would have taken effect under the bipartisan Graham Act he signed last month
Summary
Late Friday, Trump waived new sanctions against Russia and tariffs on top buyers of Russian energy that would have taken effect under the bipartisan Graham Act he signed last month. That came days after the administration waived certain sanctions as part of a deal aimed at enabling higher exports of Russian diesel after high prices have become a political millstone for Republicans. Energy Secretary Chris Wright argued Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that Russia could only benefit from the diesel deal if it scales back its war on Ukraine enough to increase exports.