“Marco Rubio Defends Sparing China and Europe Over Russian Oil Sanctions, Warns of Global Price Surge”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained why Washington has avoided imposing secondary sanctions—or extra tariffs—on China and Europe for continuing to buy Russian oil, citing potential spikes in global energy prices. He reaffirmed a tougher stance on India amid growing concerns over hypocrisy and uneven policy enforcement
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
During a Fox News interview on August 17, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed why the U.S. has refrained from imposing secondary sanctions or steep tariffs on China and Europe for their ongoing involvement in the Russian oil trade. Rubio cautioned that targeting China's refiners would likely disrupt the global market, as China refines Russian oil and re-exports it globally—including to European buyers.
He elaborated:
“If you put secondary sanctions on a country—let’s say you were to go after the oil sales of Russian oil to China—China just refines that oil. That oil is then sold into the global marketplace, and anyone who’s buying that oil would be paying more for it or, if it doesn’t exist, would have to find an alternative source for it.”
Rubio also mentioned that European governments privately expressed concerns about a Senate bill proposing 100% tariffs on both China and India, as such measures could severely destabilize energy markets.
Despite these exceptions, Rubio affirmed that India has been penalized: the U.S. recently imposed 25% tariffs (potentially going up to 50%) on Indian goods in retaliation for continued imports of Russian oil—an approach starkly different from the treatment of China.
