MOSCOW – The US decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian oil is intended to help stabilize global energy markets, the Kremlin said on Friday.
Washington's move aligned with Russia's interests and could help calm energy markets as concerns grow over a worsening global energy crisis, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
"Without significant volumes of Russian oil, stabilizing the market would be impossible.”
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He said the US exemption applies only to Russian oil that was loaded onto ships before Thursday and does not signal a broader rollback of oil-related sanctions on Russia.
The US Treasury Department issued a general license Thursday, allowing Russian oil shipments loaded before Thursday to be sold, delivered or offloaded through April 11, Eastern Time.
Since the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran on Feb 28, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted, sending international oil prices sharply higher.
In response, members of the International Energy Agency agreed to release a combined 400 million barrels from strategic petroleum reserves.
