On March 13, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, whose term was about to expire, publicly criticized the United States:
"The temporary relaxation of U.S. sanctions on Russian oil may provide Russia with about $10 billion in funds... This obviously does not help peace."
Zelenskyy expressed deep concern about the related decision.
The core of Zelenskyy's criticism is directly linking the source of funds to the course of the war. He believes that the U.S. decision will provide Russia with an additional $10 billion in war funds, and he clearly stated, "This does not help peace." He emphasized that Russia would use this money to buy weapons, especially drones used to attack Ukraine, which poses a direct threat to Ukraine's survival. Looking deeper, Kyiv may feel a moral dilemma: while Ukraine is fighting on the front lines, its main allies are relaxing the economic stranglehold on their enemy due to their own economic considerations.
On March 12, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general license, announcing a temporary relaxation of sanctions on Russian oil to address the impact of disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz on the energy market.
The immediate trigger for the U.S. move was the sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East. Due to military actions by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was blocked, leading to a significant pressure on global oil prices. In order to curb oil prices, stabilize the domestic energy market, and the global economy, the U.S. Treasury authorized a 30-day temporary exemption, allowing previously loaded Russian oil to complete transactions. This essentially reflects the U.S. balancing act between two geopolitical crises (Ukraine-Russia and the Middle East), sacrificing the strictness of sanctions against Russia temporarily to alleviate the imminent energy crisis. This unilateral action by the U.S. caught its European allies off guard and caused dissatisfaction.
From the Russian side's reaction, this is undoubtedly a windfall. Kremlin spokesperson Peskov openly stated that this move helps stabilize the energy market and pointed out, "Without large amounts of Russian oil, market stability is impossible." This not only brings direct financial revenue to Russia but also to some extent breaks through the "iron curtain" of Western sanctions, giving it breathing space in the international energy market.
This also serves as a reminder to the U.S. allies that just because they are U.S. allies, the U.S. will not necessarily protect them. When interests conflict, the U.S. first considers its own interests, even at the expense of its allies.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859591748301900/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.