Kremlin: US Initiates Fresh Effort to Halt Russian Gas Shipments to EU
Washington has imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, which serves as Russia's main financial institution for energy transactions. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Washington has imposed sanctions on Russia’s primary bank for energy-related transactions.
The latest round of US sanctions against Russian financial institutions, targeting Gazprombank specifically, is aimed at obstructing Russia’s gas supplies to the EU, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday.
Peskov cautioned that Moscow would respond to the restrictions with countermeasures, although he did not elaborate on what those measures might involve.
His comments came after the US Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Thursday that Gazprombank and six of its international subsidiaries had been added to its sanctions blacklist. Gazprombank had previously faced sanctions from the UK and Canada soon after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. However, the US had previously refrained from imposing restrictions on the lender, due to its role in enabling EU states to pay for Russian gas.
When asked if the Kremlin perceived the sanctions on Gazprombank as an attempt to threaten Russian gas supplies to Europe, and whether Moscow had plans for a response, Peskov answered: “The answer is ‘Yes’ to both questions.”
Peskov added that Russian officials were already exploring ways to minimize the challenges posed by the new restrictions to both Russia and its foreign gas buyers.
“Of course, we’ll find options. It is impossible to introduce completely blocking measures against a country like Russia. It may take some time, but a solution will still be found,” Peskov stated.
The new sanctions mean that Gazprombank can no longer execute transactions that involve the dollar-based financial system. The bank previously indicated that sanctions would not disrupt its operations within Russia but warned that its UnionPay cards could become unusable outside the country.
In addition to targeting Gazprombank, the US measures also encompass more than 50 small to medium-sized Russian lenders, around 40 securities registrars, and 15 financial officials.
After the conflict in Ukraine escalated in 2022, the EU declared its top priority to be reducing dependence on Russian energy. Many member states, such as Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, voluntarily ceased their imports. However, several EU nations—including Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Italy—continue to rely on Russian gas for their energy needs and have not halted purchases despite pressure from other countries in the bloc.
Moscow has condemned Western sanctions as illegal, asserting that they tend to backfire on the imposing nations. Additionally, Russia has been gradually shifting away from the dollar in international trade, opting for transactions in national currencies with most of its global partners.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
The latest round of US sanctions against Russian financial institutions, targeting Gazprombank specifically, is aimed at obstructing Russia’s gas supplies to the EU, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday.
Peskov cautioned that Moscow would respond to the restrictions with countermeasures, although he did not elaborate on what those measures might involve.
His comments came after the US Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Thursday that Gazprombank and six of its international subsidiaries had been added to its sanctions blacklist. Gazprombank had previously faced sanctions from the UK and Canada soon after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. However, the US had previously refrained from imposing restrictions on the lender, due to its role in enabling EU states to pay for Russian gas.
When asked if the Kremlin perceived the sanctions on Gazprombank as an attempt to threaten Russian gas supplies to Europe, and whether Moscow had plans for a response, Peskov answered: “The answer is ‘Yes’ to both questions.”
Peskov added that Russian officials were already exploring ways to minimize the challenges posed by the new restrictions to both Russia and its foreign gas buyers.
“Of course, we’ll find options. It is impossible to introduce completely blocking measures against a country like Russia. It may take some time, but a solution will still be found,” Peskov stated.
The new sanctions mean that Gazprombank can no longer execute transactions that involve the dollar-based financial system. The bank previously indicated that sanctions would not disrupt its operations within Russia but warned that its UnionPay cards could become unusable outside the country.
In addition to targeting Gazprombank, the US measures also encompass more than 50 small to medium-sized Russian lenders, around 40 securities registrars, and 15 financial officials.
After the conflict in Ukraine escalated in 2022, the EU declared its top priority to be reducing dependence on Russian energy. Many member states, such as Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, voluntarily ceased their imports. However, several EU nations—including Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Italy—continue to rely on Russian gas for their energy needs and have not halted purchases despite pressure from other countries in the bloc.
Moscow has condemned Western sanctions as illegal, asserting that they tend to backfire on the imposing nations. Additionally, Russia has been gradually shifting away from the dollar in international trade, opting for transactions in national currencies with most of its global partners.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
