US Sanctions Won’t Affect Serbia‘s Oil Supply
The US has imposed sanctions on a Russian company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), which owns an oil refinery in Serbia. However, the US says that these sanctions will not affect Serbia’s oil supply.
According to James O’Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, the sanctions are directed at Russia, not Serbia. He said that the goal is to reduce the flow of money to Russia, as they use these funds to harm people in Ukraine.
The US has targeted over 300 Russian energy and financial entities with sanctions, including one Serbian company. O’Brien said that discussions have been held with Scandinavian countries and the Serbian government to ensure a smooth transition.
The US official assured that talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the government have focused on removing Russian ownership from the oil refinery. This will allow Serbia to run its own industry for the benefit of its people, he said.
O’Brien stressed that the US is not pushing for a specific owner or company to take over. The decision on who should own the refinery will be made by Serbia itself.
The US says that its goal is to ensure no disruption in Serbia’s oil supply. O’Brien said that Russia acquired NIS for a small amount, but extracted billions of euros from Serbia over the years.
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