Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the latest round of U.S. sanctions imposed on key Russian oil companies such as Rosneft and Lukoil, labelling them as “unfriendly acts” aimed at undermining Russia’s energy sector and global trade influence. The sanctions, which target financial transactions and res trict technology exports to Russian petroleum firms, come as part of Washington’s continued response to Moscow’s ongoing actions in Ukraine and its closer alignment with sanctioned states like Iran. Despite the growing pressure, Putin asserted that these measures would “not significantly affect the Russian economy,” arguing that domestic production and alternative export channels to Asia have insulated Russia from the worst effects of Western economic restrictions. The newly announced sanctions represent one of the most sweeping U.S. actions against Russia’s oil industry since the initial post-Ukraine-invasion restrictions in 2022. Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil producer, and Lukoil, its biggest private energy firm, together account for over half of the nation’s crude output and export revenue. The sanctions are designed to curtail the companies’ access to Western financing and advanced extraction technologies, especially those needed for Arctic and deep-sea projects. However, Russia has adapted over the past few years by reorienting trade toward China, India, and the Middle East, setting up complex shipping and payment networks that bypass dollar-based transactions and make enforcement difficult. #Russia #VladimirPutin #USSactions #Rosneft #Lukoil #EnergyPolitics #OilTrade #UkraineWar #GlobalEconomy #Geopolitics
