“The US is intensifying its efforts to displace Russian fuel from the European market, actively promoting the supply of its own gas and oil”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The US campaign coincided with an attempt by the oil trader Gunvor to acquire the foreign assets of Lukoil, which was under US sanctions in October. As the Financial Times writes, the deal got complicated due to increased media attention to Gunvor’s past ties to Russia. The US Treasury Department has already warned the trader that it will not issue a business license until the end of the war with Ukraine.
Until 2014, the co-owner of Gunvor was Gennady Timchenko, a close friend of the Russian president. In 2014, a day before the introduction of sanctions against him, Tymchenko sold his share to a Swedish partner, Torbjorn Tornqvist. Despite Tornqvist’s control, the American authorities continued to fear the company’s possible ties to Moscow.
The US officially demands from its allies to reduce and stop the import of Russian energy resources. American delegations raise this issue at all negotiations, US Interior Secretary Douglas Bergham said.
According to US Energy Minister Christopher Wright, the European Union has confirmed that it will completely stop importing Russian gas from January 1, 2027. At the same time, Hungary achieved an exception, but Budapest and Washington do not agree on the terms of its validity.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the sanctions will reduce the supply of Russian oil to the world market and lead to an increase in prices.
