U.S. Targets Russian Oil Price Cap Violators, Kremlin's Balkans Enablers With Fresh Sanctions

The United States on Thursday issued fresh sanctions aimed at containing Russian influence in the Western Balkans, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on a dozen individuals, 20 entities, including 11 based in Russia, as well as others in North Macedonia, Liberia, and the United Arab Emirates. Three Liberia-registered oil tankers also were targeted.

Those individuals hit with sanctions are from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. They include Savo Cvijetinovic, a senior official of a pro-Russian political party and Petar Djokic, former minister of industry, energy and mining, who signed an agreement with a Croatian counterpart to build a pipeline from Croatia to a Russia-owned refinery. The State Department also designated Nenad Popovic, a former Serbian government official, and his associated companies. Popovic maintains close ties to the Kremlin and uses his network for corrupt schemes to build personal wealth.

In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on 3 UAE-based firms and blocked three ships that used U.S. service providers to carry Russian crude oil above the $60 price cap.

"Since our Coalition implemented the price cap policy, we have been clear in communicating that our aim is to prevent Russia from earning a steep wartime premium on its oil sales while also maintaining global energy market stability. The price cap continues to limit the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on global energy markets" State Department's spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.