(Oil Price) – More than 50 members of Congress have signed a letter calling on the U.S. government to toughen sanctions on Russian oil and questioning an exception granted to U.S.-based oil-services company Schlumberger (SLB) that has allowed it to continue operating in the country.
Representatives Lloyd Doggett (Democrat-Texas) and Jake Auchincloss (Democrat-Massachusetts) said they and 50 other members of Congress sent the letter on October 21, saying the exemption permits Schlumberger “to serve as an accomplice to Vladimir Putin,” a news release issued by Doggett’s office said.
The letter, signed by 52 lawmakers and addressed to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, says that since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, SLB has signed new contracts, recruited hundreds of staff, and imported nearly $18 million in equipment into Russia.
“This U.S.-based company is keeping…Putin’s war machine well-oiled with financing for the barbaric invasion of Ukraine. We urge you to continue supporting our Ukrainian allies by pursuing more rigorous oil sanctions to effectively restrict Putin’s profits,” the letter said.
Auchincloss said oil is the lifeblood of the Russian war economy, which is why the West must tighten oil sanctions.
“That begins by holding SLB and its collaborators accountable for evading allied sanctions, profiteering from pain, and fueling Putin’s ability to wage war,” Auchincloss said in the news release.
Since the start of the war, the United States and Europe have used sanctions to cut Moscow’s energy revenue, prompting several oil-field-service companies to leave Russia, but SLB has remained operating.
The lawmakers said they were aware that Russian oil provides a critical segment of the global oil supply, but allowing Russia to benefit from Western technology and expertise “only increases the resiliency of their oil and gas sector against Western sanctions and prolongs its ability to finance its illegal offensive.”
The U.S. Treasury Department responded to the letter by saying it was “committed to using all our tools to reduce the Kremlin’s revenues and make it harder for Russia’s war machine to operate.”
A department spokesperson quoted by Reuters said “U.S firms are prevented from making any new investments in Russia and we plan to enforce all our sanctions against companies within our jurisdiction.”
SLB did not immediately respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.
By RFE/RL
