The United States did not extend the waiver exempting
Russian oil shipments from its sanctions
regime, meaning that the restrictions are once again in effect, Ukraine’s
presidential commissioner for sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk said on June 26.
“U.S. oil sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil remain in place,” Vlasiuk told RBC-Ukraine.
On March 12, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 134, allowing the supply and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products. The United States granted the license to help ease supply shortages and high prices caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Treasury extended the exemption in May. On June 15,
President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz was “partly open” and would be
fully accessible for ships on June 19. On June 16, at the G7 summit in
France, Trump said Washington could reinstate sanctions on Russian oil as peace
negotiations with Iran continue.