The Greek refinery received Russian oil from Turkey, which then sold to the Pentagon. This violates the embargo on Russian oil that the US and Europe imposed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Pentagon received Russian oil despite Western sanctions
An investigation of The WP says that after the ban on Russian oil was imposed, the Motor Oil Hellas refinery in the Aegean Sea in Greece, which serves the US army, quickly adapted.
Within months, the company told investors that it had stopped accepting the banned oil and had found other sources instead. But there was a reason why Russian oil, at least on paper, could be so easily removed from the supply chain.
The WP reviewed data on the shipping and trade of Russian oil and found that oil products originating in Russia continued to flow to the Greek refinery.
However, this oil now took a new route - through an oil storage facility in Turkey. The ownership of the oil changed hands several times before it reached Greece, thus obscuring its Russian origin.
Journalists write that this shows the porosity of sanctions and the inability to aggressively enforce them.
The exact amount of fuel oil of Russian origin in the products purchased by the Pentagon could not be determined. These products are refined using several ingredients that cannot be traced back to the source.
In March 2022, the Pentagon signed new contracts with a Greek refinery for almost $1 billion.
The economy of the Russian Federation proved to be resistant to sanctions
The publication writes that despite the Western sanctions, which were designed to hit Russia economically, where oil and gas revenues account for almost half of the federal budget, the Russian economy has proved to be unexpectedly resilient.
This is largely due to widespread sanctions evasion.
Western leaders have taken a cautious approach to dealing with sanctions violators, despite the sharp rise in Russian oil revenues over the summer.
In the summer, the cost of Russian oil exceeded the price limit set by the West, forcing the administration of US President Joe Biden to seek strategies to stop sanctions evasion.
More on the topic
- Category
- Economics
- Publication date
- Додати до обраного
