East European Countries

Sources in the trade said that two Indian state refiners purchased 5,000,000 barrels of crude from spot markets through tenders, as they continue their search for alternatives to Russian supplies. Hindustan Petroleum Corp. has purchased 2 million barrels of each U.S. West Texas Intermediate and Abu Dhabi Murban crudes for arrival in January, according to reports. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd purchased one million barrels Basra Medium Crude for delivery between January 1-7, according to the company. It was not immediately clear who the sellers were or what their prices were. Indian refiners have been looking for alternatives since U.S....

A U.S. official familiar with the matter said on Friday that the United States supports the European Union in using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine and bring an end to the war with Russia. The European Commission, as the West seeks a way to increase pressure on Moscow has proposed a plan that would allow EU governments to use up 185 billion euro ($217 billion), which is the majority of the 210 million euros of Russian sovereign assets frozen in Europe. Washington "absolutely support (the EU)" and the measures they are taking to be able to use those assets...

The Kremlin stated on Friday that the international interests of Russian oil giant Lukoil should be respected, after Swiss commodity traders Gunvor announced they had withdrawn their proposal to purchase Lukoil’s foreign assets. Gunvor made its move after the U.S. Treasury labeled it Russia's puppet and indicated that Washington opposes the deal. When asked about the latest development, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it was a commercial matter, and that it related to illegal U.S. Sanctions on Moscow. However, it was vital that Lukoil’s interests be protected. Peskov said: "We are of the opinion that any legitimate interest of...

Lukoil announced on Thursday that it accepted an offer by global commodity trader Gunvor for its foreign assets. Russia's second largest oil company has been seeking to sell these assets after Washington imposed sanctions last week. The planned asset sales are the most significant action taken by a Russian firm in response to the Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. This war began when Russia invaded its neighbor on a full scale back in 2022. Lukoil announced in a press release that it had accepted Gunvor's offer to sell Lukoil International GmbH which controls foreign assets of the oil...

Orban's chief said that the Hungarian prime minister will meet Donald Trump in Washington on November 7, where he hopes to discuss a way forward for a U.S. -Russia summit and to seek an exemption from U.S. sanctions on energy. Gergely Gulyas said at a press conference that the two leaders will also sign agreements of co-operation on the fields energy, defence, economy, and finance. He said that "some of these have been already negotiated while in other cases, discussions are still underway." Orban said previously that he wanted to sign a wide-ranging economic agreement with Washington in order to...

The only refinery in Serbia will only continue to operate until November 25, as new crude oil deliveries have been stopped due to U.S. sanction against the Russian-owned plant operator NIS. This was reported by Tanjug News Agency on Wednesday, citing the energy minister. NIS, of which Gazprom, Gazprom and the Serbian Government each own 44.9%, operates the only refinery in Serbia, located in Pancevo. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury placed initial sanctions on Russia's petroleum sector on 10 January and gave Gazprom a 45-day deadline to sell its NIS holdings. The sanctions had been...

On Monday, the Russian rouble gained against the U.S. Dollar and the Chinese yuan ahead of corporate tax payments on the day before exporters convert their forex earnings into Russian roubles. By 1315 GMT the rouble had risen 0.6% to 79.24 dollars in the over-the counter market, and 0.5% to 11.09 yuan at the Moscow Stock Exchange where the Chinese currency is the most actively traded. The rouble also received support after the central bank decided to increase its key interest rate last week by a symbolic amount of 50 basis points, to 16.5%. This was high enough to keep...

State television Vesti, on its Telegram channel, reported that the Kremlin stated on Sunday that it was incorrect to speak about canceling a meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and U.S. president Donald Trump. However, it added that preparations were needed. They are clear about this: "Presidents can't just meet to waste time. They cannot meet just for the sake meeting. They have instructed the (U.S. secretary of state Marco) Rubio and the (Russian foreign minister Sergei) Lavrov to prepare for this meeting. "The process is complex," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said to state TV Kremlin reporter Pavel Zarubin. Peskov...

The oil prices rose by around 2.5% Thursday, continuing gains from the previous day, as concerns about supply resurfaced following the United States' sanctions against major Russian oil companies Rosneft, and Lukoil, over the Ukraine conflict. Brent crude futures rose by $1.56 or 2.49% to $64.15 per barrel by 0303 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude futures gained $1.53 or 2.62% to $60.03. The U.S. declared it was ready to take additional action, as it urged Moscow to immediately agree to a ceasefire of its war in Ukraine. Donald Trump, who is now in his second term as president, has...

The oil prices increased by over $1 per barrel in the last session after the United States placed sanctions on Russian oil firms Rosneft, and Lukoil for the Ukraine conflict. Brent crude futures rose by $1.76 or 2.81% to $64.35 at 0041 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures also increased by $1.68 or 2.87% to $60.18. The U.S. has said that it is prepared to take additional action, as it calls on Moscow to immediately agree to a ceasefire of its war in Ukraine. U.S. president Donald Trump did not impose sanctions against Russia for the war before, instead...

Orlen, a Polish oil refiner, has offered to purchase all the shares in Grupa Azoty Polyolefins. GAP is a petrochemical division of Grupa Azoty - a state-controlled chemical company. Orlen owns 17.3% GAP and said that its offer valued at $1.02 billion (about $278.20m) includes financing for GAP to continue restructuring debts and claims, as well as purchasing shares from other shareholders. Orlen and Azoty have been discussing the future of polymers, which Azoty's core business is losing money in, since 2024. The country's largest oil refiner announced earlier this year that it would not purchase more shares of Azoty’s...

The Russian Finance Ministry announced on Thursday a new measure that it claimed was designed to shield the state budget against oil price fluctuations as well as Western sanctions targeted at Russian energy exports. The government is lowering the price cutoff for oil that oil revenues are deposited into the fiscal reserves fund. This will ensure the fund has enough money to replenish it. At a public meeting, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov stated that "to make our finances more robust, we propose a reduction of dependence on different constraints, whether they are price-related or volume related, in the budget’s reliance...

Angelina Jolie, the Hollywood actress, visited one of Ukraine’s most dangerous frontline towns and an adjacent region. She met with medical staff, volunteers, and civilians who are constantly attacked by Russian troops. The Legacy of War Foundation released a statement on Thursday that praised Jolie's visit to Kherson, a city near Mykolaiv. Jolie stated that "the people of Mykolaiv & Kherson face dangers every day but refuse to surrender." In photos, Jolie was wearing a flak-jacket in the basement and meeting with children in an unlit room. The group claimed that she visited medical and educational institutions that were relocated...

The CEO of Gunvor Group said that Western sanctions against Russia and Iran have led to record oil storage onboard ships, which prevents a global supply glut. The European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have all imposed sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the war in Ukraine. Last month, the US embargo targeted Russia's top two oil producers, Rosneft & Lukoil. Torbjorn Tornqvist of the Swiss commodities trader Gunvor Group told the ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi that the surplus oil supply had cushioned the effect of the trade disruptions due to the sanctions....

Taiwan's Economy Minister said on Wednesday, that private refiners would be willing to stop purchasing Russian naphtha if the EU asked them. This comes after a group non-governmental organizations criticized the island's continuing business with Russia. Taiwan, along with the United States, major Western allies, and other countries, put broad sanctions against Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, but it did not ban explicitly imports, which are a major source of hard currency for Russia. A group of NGOs, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air(CREA), criticised Taiwan for its continued imports Russian naphtha last...

Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, said that Serbia is hoping for a better cooperation with Russia. Vucic, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, took part in the regional security summit held in Beijing. The Chinese hope to use this event as a counterweight to Western influence on global affairs. Vucic stated that "cooperation with Russia at the highest levels is very important for Serbia. This is especially true in the areas of energy and Russian supplies of gas," at the beginning of the meeting with Putin. Serbia is aspiring to be a member of the European Union. However, Russia,...

Indian Oil and Bharat Oil, India's state run refiners, have purchased Russian oil for delivery in September and October, after the discounts were increased, according to two company officials who are familiar with the matter. Refiners had stopped purchases in July because of smaller discounts, and after Washington criticised India for its purchases Russian oil. Donald Trump has also threatened to levy an additional 25% on Indian goods starting August 27 in order to punish New Delhi for continuing its purchase of Russian oil. The officials stated that the discount for Urals crude, the Russian oil of choice, has increased...

Trade sources and LSEG data show that at least two ships loaded with Russian crude oil bound for refiners located in India were diverted due to new U.S. Sanctions. This week, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against more than 115 Iran linked individuals, entities and ships. Some of these vessels are involved in transporting Russian crude oil. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has warned that he will impose 100% tariffs on all oil purchases from Moscow unless Russia signs a peace agreement with Ukraine. Trade sources reported that three ships, the Aframaxes Tagor, Guanyin, and Suezmax Tassos were to...

Industry sources claim that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian crude oil last week, as the discounts have narrowed in this month. Donald Trump has also warned other countries against purchasing oil from Moscow. India, which is the third largest oil importer in the world, is the top buyer of Russian crude by sea. This revenue stream for Russia, as it continues to wage war against Ukraine, has been vital for the country. Four sources familiar with the refiners’ plans to purchase Russian crude have told us that the country's state-owned refiners, Indian Oil Corp., Hindustan Petroleum Corp., Bharat Petroleum...

The shares of Grupa Azoty, a Polish chemicals company, fell by the most ever in a single day on Tuesday following the announcement that Orlen, the top oil refiner in Poland would not be buying more shares in the polymer production project. Orlen and Azoty have been discussing since 2024 options for GA Polyolefins (the chemical manufacturer's polymers division), in which Orlen already has a 17.3% stake. In a late-Monday statement, Andrzej Skolmowski, the chief executive of Grupa Azoty said that during negotiations Orlen had informed them that they were not interested in purchasing all or part shares in GA...

According to LSEG data and market sources, the volume of Russian seaborne gasoil and diesel exports dropped by 6% in June on a month-to-month basis. This was due to refinery maintenance. Shipping data shows that last month, the two main importers of Russian gasoil and diesel were Turkey and Brazil. Exports of diesel and gasoil from Russian ports to Turkey increased in June by 15%, a month-on-month increase, while those to Brazil dropped by 33% from May, to just 0.47 million tonnes, after a previous influx. Shipping data revealed that Russia's diesel and gasoil sales to African countries in June...

Data showed that the price of oil in Russia in roubles had fallen to its lowest level in two years, below the 4,000-rouble mark per barrel, and was 40% less than what the federal budget planned. This increased pressure on the Kremlin which is already struggling with a growing budget deficit. Global oil prices are down over 10% for six sessions in a row, and over 20% in the past year since U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff shocks in April prompted more bets that global economic growth would slow. The oil prices also fell following the Organization of the Petroleum...

A court order shows that an Indian court denied requests by JSW Steel and Trafigura for certain shipments of steelmaking raw materials. This is the latest setback since New Delhi's new import policy rattled the industry. India has since January restricted imports of met coke (metalurgical coke with low ash), and set country-specific quotas for domestic suppliers. This move has upset steel giants like ArcelorMittal Nippon India who are worried about the quality and business impact of locally produced met-coke. JSW Steel challenged New Delhi’s decision to refuse imports worth $90 million, which were ordered before the restrictions in January...

Kherson, a Ukrainian city on the frontline of the conflict with Russia for three years, has more reasons than others to want to see an end to it. They are wary of talks because they have experienced occupation and constant attacks after Russian forces were pushed out. Serhiy (64), a security guard, is lying in a hospital with his foot bandaged. He claimed he was on his way to work as a security guard, when he was struck by a grenade that was dropped by a drone operated by Russian forces. He refused to reveal his family name, and asked...