U.S. Grants Third Short-Term Waiver for Russian Oil as India Vows to Keep Buying

The narrow carveout aims to let cargoes already at sea land without derailing Washington's effort to curb Moscow's oil revenue.

Overview

U.S. Treasury official Scott Bessent confirmed the new waiver on X, saying it allows vulnerable countries temporary access to oil stuck on tankers.
Reuters reported the license lasts about 30 days and applies only to barrels already loaded onto ships.
India’s deputy petroleum secretary Sujata Sharma said refiners will keep purchasing Russian crude regardless of U.S. exemptions.
Data firm Kpler expects India’s May imports of Russian oil near record levels at about 1.9 million barrels per day.
Leading Senate Democrats previously criticized such waivers, arguing repeated carveouts could weaken the post‑2022 sanctions regime.