The administration of current US President Joseph Biden is considering imposing new major financial sanctions on russian energy companies. This will allow the team of the future head of the White House Donald Trump to give Washington leverage that may be needed during negotiations with Moscow over Ukraine.
The American publication The Washington Post wrote about this, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to them, Biden is considering the possibility of imposing new major sanctions against the russian energy sector in the last weeks of his term.
This step will also give the Trump team more leverage in negotiations with putin on ending the russian-Ukrainian war.
The sanctions will be aimed at the so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers transporting russian oil and its experts, who have not yet been subject to US sanctions.
The sources said that possible options also include revoking the license that allows banks to process russian energy transactions.
If the sanctions are implemented, they could help shape Biden’s economic and foreign policy legacy before Trump is inaugurated. A major move against russia before he leaves office would bolster Biden, who says he has rallied Western allies to respond decisively to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The sources added that outside activists are urging Biden to tighten his grip on russia’s energy sector, and some officials fear they are running out of time.
A senior Biden administration official called the measures necessary to ensure Ukraine is in the “best possible position” for negotiations.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on December 22, the German publication Welt wrote, citing sources, that the European Union has begun developing a new package of sanctions against russia. It is planned to approve it by the anniversary of the russian federation's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As a reminder, on December 17, the British government imposed sanctions against another 20 tankers that russia uses in its "shadow fleet" to export oil.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.