Finance Minister Scott Bessent clarified that he allowed the sale of Russian oil after a corresponding appeal from 10 of the poorest countries, UNN reports with reference to NYT.
Details
Finance Minister Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he had extended a sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil after more than 10 of the poorest countries requested an extension at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings last week.
Bessent earlier last week stated that the sanctions would not be extended, but on Friday evening the Treasury Department changed its position and announced another 30-day deferral allowing the sale of Russian oil.
Washington's change of position
The extension of the exceptions came two days after Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced that the US did not plan to extend such permits.
Thus, the decision was an unexpected signal of a change in the administration's approach to sanctions policy.
Analysts note that such a step could complicate Western efforts to reduce Russia's energy revenues, which are used to finance the war against Ukraine.
At the same time, this could cause disagreements between the US and its allies.