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Russian Foreign Ministry slams Pompeo’s threats against Rosneft as senseless

Michael Pompeo earlier said that Rosneft was defying US sanctions by continuing to purchase oil from Venezuela’s state-run oil company — PDVSA

Russian Foreign Ministry Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, March 13. /TASS/. Threats voiced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over cooperation of Russian oil producer Rosneft with Venezuela are senseless as the company has been successfully working despite sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

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"The threats coming from the US Secretary of State against the Rosneft company over its cooperation with Venezuela are senseless. It has been hit by sanctions since 2014, but continues successfully working. Meanwhile, its former US partners, whom Washington had forced to curtail cooperation, suffered serious damage," the ministry said.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo earlier said that Rosneft was defying US sanctions by continuing to purchase oil from Venezuela’s state-run oil company, PDVSA. The Russian company replied by saying that it does not engage in politics, its activities are purely commercial and are carried out for the benefit of the shareholders.

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