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US sanctions against Rosneft Trading will not affect Russia-Venezuela relations — Kremlin

The spokesperson stressed that the restrictions are unlawful from the point of international law

© AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel

ST. PETERSBURG, February 19. /TASS/. US sanctions against Rosneft Trading, a subsidiary of Russian state-run oil company Rosneft, for selling Venezuelan oil, are illegal and will not affect relations between Moscow and Caracas, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

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US imposes sanctions against Rosneft Trading

"Such restrictions, which we consider illegal from the point of international law, can in no way affect our bilateral relations with Venezuela," he said responding to a relevant question.

"On the contrary, they [the relations] are evolving and will continue to evolve," he added.

Peskov recalled that Rosneft had already voiced their intention to consider a possibility to defend the company’s interests in court as well as to use other available mechanisms.

"All measures will be taken in this respect," the Kremlin spokesman concluded.

Read also

PDVSA says operations of Rosneft Trading in Venezuela are legal

On Tuesday, a high-ranking official of the US Administration informed that Washington introduced sanctions against Rosneft Trading, S.A and its President Didier Casimiro linked to sales of oil from Venezuela.

"Today the Treasury Department has taken action against the Russian oil brokerage firm Rosneft Trading, S.A and its President Didier Casimiro for brokering the sale of Venezuelan oil globally on behalf of the illegitimate [Nicolas] Maduro regime," she announced. Rosneft Trading "actively attempted to evade US sanctions," the official added. Sanctions against Rosneft Trading, S.A. do not apply to the parent company.

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