Russian Oil Cap Begins, Trying To Pressure Putin Over Ukraine War

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western international locations on Monday started imposing a $60-per-barrel worth cap and ban on some forms of Russian oil, a part of new measures geared toward stepping up stress in opposition to Moscow over its struggle on Ukraine.

The European Union, together with Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan and america agreed to the worth cap on Friday. The transfer has prompted a rejection from Kremlin and in addition criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — whose authorities needs the cap to be half as excessive.

The 27-country European bloc additionally imposed an embargo on Russian oil shipped by sea.

Questions have arisen about simply how the Western measures will have an effect on market costs. On Monday, U.S. benchmark crude traded up 90 cents to $80.88.

Many different components, together with COVID-19 prevention measures in China which have crimped its manufacturing, are additionally having an impression on demand for crude and thus costs. They're far down from a peak earlier in the course of the struggle.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who's in command of vitality points, warned in televised feedback on Sunday that Russia gained’t promote its oil to international locations that might attempt to use the cap.

“We'll solely promote oil and oil merchandise to the international locations that may work with us on market phrases, even when we now have to cut back output to some extent,” Novak mentioned in televised remarks hours earlier than the worth cap got here into impact.

The Ukrainian authorities demanded over the weekend a cheaper price cap, to $30 per barrel, insisting that on the $60 stage Russia would nonetheless reap annual oil revenues of $100 billion — cash that can be utilized to finance its struggle machine.

Russia, the world’s No.2 oil producer, depends on the sale of oil and fuel to underpin its economic system, which has already come beneath sweeping worldwide sanctions over President Vladimir Putin’s struggle in Ukraine.

In latest weeks, Russia has been pounding Ukrainian infrastructure — together with energy vegetation — with navy strikes and conserving an offensive going within the east, notably in and across the city of Bakhmut.

Russian forces have additionally been digging in close to the southern metropolis of Kherson, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces final month after an 8-month occupation.

The struggle that started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 has displaced thousands and thousands from their properties, killed and injured an untold variety of civilians, and shaken the world economic system — notably via the fallout on the costs and availability of foodstuffs, fertilizer and gasoline which can be key exports from Ukraine and Russia.

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Comply with AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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