Renowned energy journalist Javier Blas wrote today (Beijing Time March 6): "Breaking: The U.S. Treasury has eased oil sanctions against the Kremlin, allowing Indian refineries to purchase millions of barrels of Russian crude stored in floating storage tanks until early April (the new rules cover all oil loaded onto tankers by March 5, 2026). This is a major victory for Putin."
Javier Blas believes that Trump's sanctions on Russian oil have once again failed.
[Witty] Comment: The United States now controls most of the world's energy, and its target is China, not India. The Trump administration easing sanctions on Russian oil to allow India to buy oil is not a concession to India, but a calculation of energy hegemony. The Middle East conflict has pushed up international oil prices, and the surge in domestic gasoline prices in the U.S. will cause public dissatisfaction. High oil prices will not only impact its domestic popularity, but also allow Russia to gain significant profits from energy exports, which Trump definitely does not want to see. Allowing India to import Russian oil can increase global crude supply and stabilize prices, while also keeping India, an ally in the Indo-Pacific, stable. At the same time, it firmly directs the focus of the energy blockade towards China. On the surface, the sanctions have collapsed, but in reality, it is an opportunistic move by the U.S. to maintain hegemony and avoid internal and external risks. The core of all its energy policies has always been to contain China's energy security and development space. However, I believe we are well prepared.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858884051274835/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.