US would like to lift sanctions exemptions on Russian oil as soon as possible, - Rubio
Washington is seeking to revoke as quickly as possible the temporary licenses and sanctions exemptions that have allowed Russian oil to be supplied to global markets. The decision will be made as soon as the U.S. Department of the Treasury determines that this can be done without harming the global economy.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made this statement during Senate hearings, according to the Associated Press, as reported by Censor.NET.
Exceptions for Russia
During the committee meeting, leading Democratic Party representative Jean Shaheen grilled Rubio on the advisability of further extending the deadlines for Russian oil imports. The issue at hand concerns temporary permits to unload Russian crude oil that is already on tankers at sea.
Washington was forced to grant these exemptions in order to alleviate the global fuel shortage triggered by the war in Iran and the complete closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio replied that the repeal of these concessions is only a matter of time and will depend on current market conditions.
"We would like to end this as soon as possible, since this country's core policy is to impose sanctions on Russian oil. These are temporary exemptions intended to expand global supplies," said the U.S. Secretary of State.
What happened before?
- In March, the United States granted a 30-day waiver allowing countries to purchase Russian oil and petroleum products that are subject to sanctions and are currently on tankers at sea. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called this move a measure to stabilize global energy markets, which have been unsettled by the war with Iran.
- In April, the U.S. Treasury Department granted a license allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products by sea for a period of 30 days, despite previous statements.
- According to Bloomberg, on May 16, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump allowed a special exemption that facilitated the sale of certain volumes of Russian crude oil to expire.
- However, some countries, notably India and Indonesia, have called on the Trump administration to extend the suspension of sanctions.
