US Grants Turkey and Hungary Exemptions from Gazprombank Sanctions for Russian Gas Payments

Dec 20, 2024, 07:19 AM

The United States has granted Turkey an exemption from sanctions imposed on Russia's Gazprombank, allowing Ankara to continue making payments for natural gas imports from Russia. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed the waiver after a series of discussions with U.S. officials. The U.S. had sanctioned Gazprombank in November due to its involvement in facilitating payments related to Russia's military actions in Ukraine. Turkey, which imports more than 40% of its natural gas from Russia, had been exploring alternative payment methods, including loans from Russian banks and payments through the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Hungary also received a similar exemption, enabling it to pay for Russian gas through Gazprombank.