Germany will push to free the Russian oil giant Rosneft from U.S. sanctions. Law and Justice (PiS) MP Paweł Jabłoński has submitted a formal inquiry to Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on the matter. He stressed that “the actions announced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz must be considered harmful to Poland’s interests,” and he asked two specific questions.
Rosneft to be freed from sanctions?
A few days ago, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that he assumes that in the case of Rosneft’s operations in Germany, the company will receive an exemption from the new U.S. sanctions imposed on the Russian oil concern by the U.S. administration.
“We will discuss this with the Americans. I assume that Rosneft will receive an exemption,” the German said.
PiS MP Paweł Jabłoński reacted to the German chancellor’s declaration.
“The German chancellor has announced actions to free Putin’s Rosneft from sanctions. There is no doubt that Friedrich Merz is acting in the narrowly understood, selfish interest of Germany — which for years has been building an energy alliance with Russia — at the expense of the security of Poland and all of Central Europe,” the opposition politician said.
He added that “there is also no doubt that these actions run counter to Poland’s interest — it is in our interest that Putin’s Rosneft be covered by U.S. sanctions, in order to cut Putin off from the money he can use to wage war and to attack our country as well.”
“Has the government taken any action in this matter in Poland’s interest?” he asked.
The Rosneft issue. The MP’s inquiry
The MP stated that he has submitted a parliamentary inquiry on the matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski.
“According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s communication, as a result of the sanctions, all assets and ownership interests of Rosneft, Lukoil, and their subsidiaries that are located in the United States or in the possession or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The activities of any entities that are owners — directly or indirectly, individually or jointly — of 50% or more of any blocked company are also blocked. OFAC sanctions also prohibit any transactions conducted by U.S. persons or within the United States (or in transit through the United States) that involve any property or ownership interests of sanctioned entities. Rosneft is a company that for years has served the dictator of Russia, Vladimir Putin, as a tool to finance his regime and his war machine,” Jabłoński recalled in the document.
The politician underlined that “the actions announced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz must be considered harmful from the point of view of our country’s interests.” He also addressed two questions to the head of the foreign ministry:
- What actions has the government of the Republic of Poland taken to prevent the German Rosneft subsidiary from being freed from U.S. sanctions?
- Have any talks been held on this matter with the German or American side? If so — when, and who conducted these talks? Please provide the notes from these conversations.