The Biden administration has announced the largest-ever U.S. sanctions against the Russian energy sector. The measures, according to White House officials, are aimed at inflicting serious economic damage on Russia and increasing pressure on its economy. Washington expects the new restrictions to cost the Russian budget billions of dollars a month, lead to a decline in the ruble and force the Russian Central Bank to raise its key rate.

The sanctions include blocking measures against key companies in the Russian fuel and energy complex (FEC) and introduce new rules under which any person doing business with Russian energy structures may be subject to restrictions. This means that even intermediaries and counterparties working with the Russian FEC may face restrictions.

The White House said the measures were designed to minimize the impact on the global oil market. The Biden administration has stressed that there is no risk of a supply shortage thanks to rising oil production in the United States, where officials say there is a domestic surplus. Therefore, the sanctions, according to Washington, should not affect global energy prices.

The main goal of these restrictions is to force Russia to restructure its supply chains, which creates additional difficulties for its economy. The White House says that efforts to prevent circumvention of sanctions will be stepped up. The US intends to work closely with allies to monitor compliance with the restrictions.

The future of sanctions policy towards Russia will depend on the decisions of the next US administration. It is expected that after the inauguration of Donald Trump, this issue will become one of the key topics on the agenda. Trump has repeatedly criticized Biden's sanctions policy, calling it insufficiently effective and has stated his intention to reconsider the approach to interaction with Russia.