The U.S. has postponed the sale of Lukoil’s foreign assets for the fifth time: a new date has been set
30 April 15:14
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has decided for the fifth time to postpone the deadline for the sale of foreign assets belonging to the Russian oil company Lukoil. The new deadline is now set for May 30, 2026. This decision was made on Thursday, April 30. This is stated in a relevant document from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
The initial deadline for the sale of Lukoil’s foreign assets was set for December 13, 2025, but it was subsequently postponed several times. The most recent deadline was May 1, 2026.
According to Reuters , this extension is part of U.S. efforts to increase pressure on Russia in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.
One U.S. official noted that the extension is aimed at
“facilitate ongoing negotiations with Lukoil and reach an agreement that supports President (Donald) Trump’s efforts to deprive Russia of the revenue needed to sustain its war machine and achieve peace.”
According to the official, it is critical that Lukoil receive no upfront benefits from the sale. All proceeds from the sale will be deposited into an account where they are frozen and will remain under U.S. jurisdiction.
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U.S. Sanctions Against Lukoil
As a reminder, the U.S. imposed sanctions against two Russian oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft. Against this backdrop, several EU countries hosting Lukoil refineries began seeking solutions to prevent the plants from shutting down.
In particular, the Bulgarian parliament authorized the government to appoint a new refinery director. The plant may be nationalized and then sold to new owners.
Additionally, the Hungarian company MOL informed U.S. officials of its interest in acquiring the international assets of sanctioned Lukoil.
As a reminder, Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. During this conversation, Putin expressed his readiness to declare a “ceasefire” on May 9.
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