Biden Expands Russia Sanctions in Final Days in Office

Measures Target Oil, LNG and Shadow Fleet Operations

The outgoing Democratic administration billed the new sanctions as the most significant to date against Moscow’s oil and liquefied natural gas sectors, the driver of Russia’s economy. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press)

[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Jan. 10 that it’s expanding sanctions against Russia’s critically important energy sector, unveiling a new effort to inflict pain on Moscow for its grinding war in Ukraine as President-elect Donald Trump gets set to return to office vowing to quickly end the conflict.

The outgoing Democratic administration billed the new sanctions as the most significant to date against Moscow’s oil and liquefied natural gas sectors, the driver of Russia’s economy. Officials said the sanctions, which punish entities that do business with the Russians, have the potential to cost the Russian economy upward of billions of dollars per month.

More than 180 oil-carrying vessels that are suspected to be part of a shadow fleet utilized by the Kremlin to evade oil sanctions as well as traders, oil field service firms and Russian energy officials are also targeted by the new sanctions. Several of the vessels targeted are also suspected of shipping sanctioned Iranian oil, according to the Treasury Department.

“The United States is taking sweeping action against Russia’s key source of revenue for funding its brutal and illegal war against Ukra…

CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM Transport Topics HERE

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.