Chinese officials are reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI platform Manus over potential export control violations. This could give Beijing leverage over the deal, which is a rare instance of an American company acquiring a Chinese AI startup.
US President Donald Trump has stated his readiness to send troops to Venezuela if interim president Delcy Rodriguez stops cooperating with the US. He also noted that Rodriguez cooperated after a US military strike on the Venezuelan capital, which led to the capture of the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in early 2026, international creditors have intensified their struggle to recover Venezuela's $150-170 billion foreign debt. The main players are China, Russia, bondholders, and energy giants, while restructuring is complicated by US sanctions and a lack of cooperation with the IMF.
The Serbian oil refinery NIS, owned by Russia and under US sanctions, will start operating on January 17 or 18. This became possible after receiving a temporary license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department.
This refers to advanced weapon systems, including ballistic missiles and drones, for cryptocurrency. This would allow Tehran to circumvent Western financial restrictions.
Western sanctions have reshaped India's oil trade, reducing its reliance on Russian oil. Imports from Russia decreased by 17.8% in January-October 2025, while imports from the US increased by 83.3% and from the UAE by 8.7%.
On December 19, the United States imposed sanctions on seven individuals linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The restrictions target relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, who is accused of corruption in the oil company.
The US Treasury Department has imposed new sanctions on Iran's 'shadow fleet,' used to export oil in circumvention of American restrictions. The sanctions affected 29 ships and the companies that operate them, which transported hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil products.
The United States of America has removed several companies from the sanctions list that previously supplied sanctioned equipment to Russia, including for its military-industrial complex. Among them are Cypriot Veles International Limited, Finnish Hi-Tech Koneisto, as well as Dubai and Turkish companies.
The U. S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has fully launched the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which will begin reviewing projects in 2026. The fund will focus on critical minerals, energy, transportation, logistics, and technology, attracting private capital.
The US presidential administration has temporarily suspended sanctions against several Russian banks involved in settlements in the civilian nuclear energy sector. Financial transactions are permitted until June 18, 2026, for projects initiated before November 21, 2024.
The US has partially lifted sanctions on three Belarusian legal entities linked to the potash sector. This happened after the Belarusian authorities released a number of political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski.
The US has extended the waiver of sanctions against Lukoil until January 17, allowing certain operations. This is due to intensified negotiations on the sale of the Russian company's foreign assets.
Senators Jeff Merkley and Catherine Cortez Masto have introduced a bill that prohibits the U. S. Treasury Department from minting one-dollar coins featuring a living or incumbent president. This addresses the Treasury Department's plans to issue commemorative coins featuring Donald Trump for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
NielsenIQ's Russian subsidiary is actively recruiting staff for high-risk markets, including occupied Ukrainian territories and Iran, as revealed by job postings on HH. ru. The company's internal research previously labeled occupied Ukrainian lands as "new Russian regions."
Envoys of US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian negotiators for the third time in two weeks to discuss a peace plan, while the Trump administration eased economic pressure on Russia. The US Treasury Department partially suspended sanctions against Lukoil gas stations outside Russia until April 29.
Sanctions reportedly forced Lukoil to announce the sale of its foreign assets, and several buyers have approached US authorities for permission to negotiate with Lukoil, including oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron.
Thanks to sanctions, Russian oil exports have already decreased by 15-20%, and crude oil production in the Russian Federation will decrease by 5% by the end of the year. The 20th package of EU sanctions is being discussed, which includes restrictions on the financial sector and the infrastructure of the shadow fleet.
The US has issued a general license permitting certain financial transactions related to Russia's Paks II nuclear power plant project in Hungary. The authorized transactions involve Gazprombank, VTB Bank, and the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, provided they pertain to the implementation of the nuclear power plant project.
International Holding Company from the UAE, led by the brother of the UAE president, has expressed interest in acquiring assets of "Lukoil", which is under US sanctions. The US Treasury Department has allowed companies to negotiate with "Lukoil" until December 13.
Brent and WTI crude futures fell after a report of increased US inventories. The price decline is limited by sanctions against Russian oil, which raises concerns about supply disruptions.
Wright USA, an insurance company that insured FBI and CIA agents, was acquired by China's Fosun Group. This gave it access to the personal data of US secret service employees.
The US Treasury Department said that sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil are already reducing Russia's oil revenues. The analysis showed that these measures are aimed at reducing the financing of Russia's military efforts against Ukraine.
The Iraqi government plans to appeal to the US Treasury Department for a six-month waiver of sanctions against Lukoil. This would provide more time to sell the company's stake in the West Qurna-2 oil field.
US Treasurer Brandon Beach minted the last five one-cent coins, ending 232 years of penny production. This decision was made due to rising production costs and changing consumer habits.
Bulgaria's parliament overturned the president's veto on a bill allowing the government to take control of Lukoil's oil refinery and sell it. The decision is intended to protect the asset from US sanctions, which will come into force on November 21.
Lukoil shares on the Moscow Exchange fell to 4,900 rubles, and the company's capitalization decreased by $9. 6 billion after new US sanctions. This led to the blocking of sales of foreign assets and problems with operations in international markets.
The US Treasury Department temporarily eases sanctions against Syria for 180 days. This decision coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's historic visit to the White House.
Romania and Bulgaria are trying to prevent the shutdown of their critical oil refineries as US sanctions against their Russian owners take effect on November 21. Bulgaria is considering nationalizing Lukoil's refinery in Burgas, while Romania views nationalization as a "last resort" for the Petrotel refinery.
The US Treasury Department said that Swiss oil trader Gunvor would not receive a license until Putin stops the war in Ukraine.
