Russia’s global fuel customers push back against US sanctions bill
Por Tom Nicholson — China – POLITICO
The global response to the Russia sanctions bill the U.S. Congress approved late Wednesday has been swift and defiant, with Moscow warning it would prolong its war on Ukraine, India vowing to protect its interests, and Beijing pushing back against what it called illegal “long-arm jurisdiction.”
The bill, which U.S. President Donald Trump must still sign into law, would slap mandatory sanctions on Moscow’s leadership, energy sector, defense industry and “shadow fleet” seaborne delivery system for embargoed Russian fuel.
It also empowers Trump to hit the top five largest global purchasers of that fuel with 100% sanctions, a cudgel that has U.S. allies worried. China has bought 50% of Russian crude exports since 2022, India 37%, Turkey 5% — and the EU 5%. The bloc has also been the largest buyer of Russian LNG (49%) over that period, as well as the largest buyer of Russian pipeline gas (32%), according to data from the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air non-profit.
The bill “falls under the category of unfriendly actions, and of course the imposition of any additional sanctions by the U.S. would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.
The Indian foreign ministry said New Delhi had previously “very clearly articulated” the potential impact of the measures on its relationship with Washington, and would “take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests.”
Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing’s trade relations were not “subject to interference or coercion from any third party.”
As for the EU, critics of the sanctions bill argue it gives Trump too much leeway to issue waivers for major Russia supporters (e.g. China) with whom Washington is seeking wider trade deals, or conversely to pursue vendettas against U.S. allies who displease him, such as the EU, based on the oil and gas purchases of some member countries (e.g. Slovakia and Hungary).
Trump has not said whether he will sign the Russia sanctions bill, although the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that he intends to do so, citing the White House. The European Commission has not publicly commented on the legislation.
Fonte: China – POLITICO
