Rosneft CEO calls new US sanctions 'illegal.'

摘要

Igor Sechin blasted the US on July 15 saying that new sanctions placed on the Russian energy major, which essentially limit the ability of Rosneft to access US financing over the medium- and long-term, are " illegal, subjective and ungrounded" as the company has no role in the current crisis in Ukraine. Mr. Sechin-who was himself the subject of US sanctions back in April-went on to add that the continuance of these sanctions over the long-term will negatively impact US energy firms, such as ExxonMobil, currently involved in projects with Rosneft in Russia, though analysts with Russian Alfa Bank note that the new sanctions do not directly limit the participation of Western energy majors in Russian projects or the purchase of Russian crude by western firms. Analysts with Russian VTB Capital also did not seem to be concerned about the new round of sanctions saying, "We deem the direct macro impact of this latest batch of measures as insignificant, and see them as deliberately designed in such a manner as to produce the maximum media effect with minimal economic cost for either side." Both sets of analysts did add that Rosneft could start to feel some pain if Europe was to follow the US and impose similar sanctions, limiting access to European financing as well.