WASHINGTON, United States, March 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US government on Thursday temporarily eased economic sanctions against Russia to allow Russian oil currently stranded at sea to be sold to India. "This deliberately short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea," he posted on X. The sale to India will "alleviate pressure caused by Iran's attempt to take global energy hostage," he added, even though India has said it will stop purchasing Russian oil as part of a trade deal with the United States. In a rare effort to pressure Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Russian oil majors Lukoil and Rosneft last November. Those moves -- the most powerful by Trump against Russia over the Ukraine war -- saw major buyers of Russian oil scramble to find alternative suppliers.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 06, 2026 03:11 UTC