Sergei Markov, a former Putin adviser turned commentator, said “the minor easing won’t achieve much” but as a reversal of a wider trend — from tightening sanctions to easing them — “it’s significant.” The Ukraine government “is in mourning” at the news, he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Kyiv did not immediately offer public comment on the move.
This Russian positivity was not shared across Europe, however.
The British government was among those saying Friday that it will keep its own sanctions against Russian oil, while fearing the consequences of the Trump administration’s decision.
While on a visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday, the United Kingdom’s top diplomat, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, accused Tehran and Moscow of supporting each other and “attempting to hijack the global economy.”
The leaders of Germany and Norway, who appeared at a joint news conference, voiced their opposition, as did European Council President António Costa in a post on X.
“The unilateral decision by the US to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports is very concerning, as it impacts European security,” Costa wrote.
“Increasing economic pressure on Russia is decisive for it to accept a serious negotiation for a just and lasting peace,” he said. “Weakening sanctions increases Russian resources to wage the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment regarding the backlash.
The fallout Friday illustrated the complexities involved when the U.S. weighs two wars, each involving major energy producers.
The Strait of Hormuz is a 24-mile waterway separating Iran and the Gulf nations, and one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through it each year. The vast majority of ships are refusing to go through it right now, both because it is too dangerous (Iran has attacked several ships over the past few days) and also because insurance costs have ballooned.
Lifting the Russian sanctions is not the only dramatic countermeasure that countries have attempted to prevent the risk of a global economic shock.
The International Energy Agency, a group of major producers, agreed this week to release a historic 400 million barrels of oil. This also failed to lower the prices.
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