The information was revealed by Russian President's Special Envoy for Investment and Economic Cooperation and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev.
We are discussing this issue with the US, because Western sanctions have proven to be detrimental to the world economy," Kirill Dmitriev shared on social network X.
The comments of the Russian President's special envoy were made after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's statement about the possibility of easing sanctions against Russian oil.
We have allowed India to accept Russian oil. We can lift sanctions against other Russian oil sources," Mr. Bessent told Fox Business television.
However, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, this move will only apply to Russian oil shipments being transported. "There are hundreds of millions of barrels of sanctioned crude oil lying at sea. By lifting sanctions, the Treasury Department can effectively create additional supply," he said.
The US consideration of lifting sanctions against some of Russia's oil supplies to stabilize global oil flows amid escalating conflict in the Middle East has pushed oil prices to their highest level since 2023.
President Donald Trump's administration is trying to stabilize the global energy market as oil supplies are being disrupted the most seriously in decades due to the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the Gulf countries.
Iran has also strongly restricted transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, blocking much of maritime traffic through one of the world's most important oil corridors. About 1/5 of the world's crude oil transportation, about 15 million barrels per day, usually passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US imposed sanctions on major Russian energy companies, including Rosneft and Lukoil, in October last year.
Previously, on March 5, the US also gave India a 30-day deadline to buy oil from Russia.
The conflict in the Middle East has strongly disrupted the global oil market. Analysts warn that if the crisis lasts, global energy supplies could be disrupted even more strongly.
According to Goldman Sachs, oil prices could rise above $100/barrel next week if transportation through the Strait of Hormuz is not restored. The Wall Street Bank also warned that oil prices could surpass record highs recorded in 2008 and 2022 if the flow through the strait continues to be seriously disrupted throughout March.
