US temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil - Trump named condition for their return
Kyiv • UNN
The US has eased restrictions on Russian oil to stabilize the market until April 11. Donald Trump promises to reinstate sanctions after the crisis in Iran is over.
The US has temporarily eased sanctions against Russian oil amid the Middle East crisis, but official Washington is ready to reinstate them after the regional escalation subsides. US President Donald Trump stated this in a phone interview with NBC News, as reported by UNN.
Details
The American leader said that the temporarily eased restrictions on Russian oil would be reinstated after the crisis in the Middle East ends. He explained his decision by the need to stabilize the oil market amid a sharp price surge.
"Sanctions will return as soon as the crisis ends," he said.
At the same time, Trump made it clear that he is not yet ready to conclude a deal to end the war with Iran, as he considers the proposed terms insufficiently strict.
It should be noted that Washington does not specify when exactly the crisis will be considered over, or whether the current relaxations will be extended after April 11.
Context
In fact, the US administration has already taken several steps to temporarily ease the sanctions regime.
Specifically, on March 5, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 133, which permitted transactions involving Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels before March 5 for delivery to India.
On March 12, OFAC expanded this relaxation through General License 134.
The document allowed the sale and transportation of Russian oil and petroleum products globally, provided that the cargo was loaded onto a vessel no later than March 12. This license expires at midnight Washington time on April 11.
According to available information, Washington took this step due to the exacerbation of the situation in the global oil market after the US and Israel's war against Iran. Escalation in the Middle East, attacks on energy infrastructure, and actual trade disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz created additional pressure on prices. Against this backdrop, the White House sought to reduce the risks of a new surge in oil prices.