OREANDA-NEWS On Wednesday, December 17, the US Treasury allowed Japan to pay for oil from the Russian Sakhalin-2 project. This was reported by the press service of the Office for Control of Foreign Assets (OFAC).

Tokyo was given permission for financial transactions related to the transportation of oil produced under the Sakhalin-2 project.

"All transactions related to the maritime transportation of crude oil produced under the Sakhalin-2 project are allowed until June 18, 2026, provided that transportation is carried out exclusively to Japan," the ministry said.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump that Tokyo would not be able to impose an embargo on purchases of this hydrocarbon from Russia. This would damage the stability of the country's energy supply, as almost nine percent of Japan's LNG imports come from Russia.

The Japanese authorities note that they do not plan to stop importing Russian gas. The supply of Russian energy resources is important for ensuring energy security. Therefore, Tokyo will take all measures to ensure that there are no problems with the stable supply of supplies to Japan.