Kremlin spokesman says routes for export of Russian energy cannot be 'cut off' by sanctions, argues alternative routes will appear
The Kremlin on Monday said the latest sanctions imposed by the US on Russia will destabilize international energy markets, days after Washington announced new measures to further reduce Moscow's revenues amid the ongoing Ukraine war.
On Friday, the US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Russia's energy sector, targeting oil giants Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, over 180 vessels, oil traders, service providers, insurance firms, and energy officials to hinder Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine.
The Treasury also restricted the provision of US services for oil extraction and production in Russia.
“Of course, such decisions cannot but lead to a certain destabilization of international energy markets, oil markets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a press briefing.
Expressing that Moscow will carefully monitor the consequences of the measures and then configure the work of Russian companies to minimize their consequences, Peskov said the routes for the export of Russian energy cannot be “cut off” by the sanctions.
“If something is blocked in one place, alternative options appear in another. Therefore, a search will be conducted for such work options that will minimize the consequences of sanctions,” Peskov further said, defining the sanctions as "illegal."
He went on to argue that the US will "continue to try to undermine the positions of our companies in non-competitive ways," adding that Moscow expects to be able to counter this.
