Benes' business strategy is calculated this way: Washington is keeping oil prices from rising to prevent Russia from gaining excessive revenue
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bensons said that if oil prices surge to $150, Moscow would get more money. Therefore, the U.S. is interested in market stability and also hopes that supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will not last too long.
Benson did not rule out short-term easing of sanctions on Russian oil: "The idea is like this: once the conflict ends and the market supply is sufficient, we will resume the sanctions."
Benson explained Washington's logic: "Which option is more beneficial? Is it better for oil prices to surge to $150, but Putin can only get 70% of that money, or keep oil prices within the range of $95–100? In which scenario does he get more money? The result is that his fiscal revenue changes little overall."
Benson said such fluctuations are not crucial to Russia's budget, "Russia needs about $2 billion a day to maintain the country's operations."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859854256842828/
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