US says price caps on Russia's oil are cutting revenue nearly in half and weakening its economy
Washington (AP): A top Treasury Department official said Thursday that the cap on the price of Russia's oil is severely curtailing its greatest source of revenue as it wages war in Ukraine.
When the United States and other economic powers in the Group of Seven, along with the European Union and Australia, last year announced an ambitious plan to cap the price of Russian oil, U.S. officials said it would deliver a crippling blow to Russia's economy.
"In just six months, the price cap has contributed to a significant decline in Russian revenue at a key juncture in the war," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in remarks Thursday at the Center for a New American Security, pointing to a nearly 50% drop in Russian oil revenues compared with a year prior.
The price cap was rolled out to equal parts skepticism and hopefulness that the policy would stave off Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to the price cap, the allied nations have hit Russia with thousands of sanctions over the course of the nearly 16 months of war. The sanctions are aimed at bank and financial transactions, technology imports, manufacturing and Russians with government connections.
Adeyemo said most recently the Kremlin's new tax on oil companies, designed to make up for the lack of revenues, is evidence of the cap's success.
"This change will constrain Russia's oil companies going forward, leaving them with fewer funds to invest in exploration and production and over time diminishing the productive capacity of Russia's oil sector," he said. "There is clear evidence of its success."
Lauri Myllyvirta, a Finland-based analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said while the price cap has made an impact on Russia's economy, the EU's import ban has had more effect in reducing Russian oil revenues.
The EU last year announced a ban on the importation of Russian oil and other products from Russian refineries. And in February, Europe imposed a ban on Russian diesel fuel.
"The combination of the EU's oil import ban and the price cap did have an impact," Myllyvirta said, "but the EU import ban has been the more impactful measure."
Myllyvirta also said the cap is too high for to have a more meaningful impact on Russian oil revenues. The price cap on Russian oil has remained at
60 per barrel.
In response to the punitive measures, Russia has cut its oil production, and announced this month that it would extend the cuts by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of December 2024.
"This is a precautionary measure taken in coordination with the countries participating in the OPEC+ agreement, which previously announced voluntary oil cuts in April," Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister, wrote on the government's website.
The voluntary cuts may also be due in part to waning demand.
The International Energy Agency this week issued its five-year forecast on oil demand, which suggests that fossil fuels' dominance over drivers is starting to wane.
It's part of a larger trend in which countries' efforts to address climate change by moving to renewable energy sources will begin to lessen demand, which in turn could lessen the economic strength of countries like Russia.
The forecast indicates that demand for gasoline will peak in 2023, while demand for overall transport fuels would top out in 2026. The IEA specifies that this is "the result of a pivot towards lower-emission sources triggered by the global energy crisis," in addition to better efficiency and the growth in sales of electric vehicles.
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Man City makes it six Premier League wins in a row with 2-1 victory against Nottingham Forest
Manchester (England) (AP): Rayan Cherki kept Manchester City's Premier League title challenge powering on with a late winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The France forward's 83rd minute strike secured a 2-1 victory at the City Ground to make it six league wins in a row for Pep Guardiola's team.
City is on an eight-game winning run in all and provisionally moved to the top of the standings — one point ahead of Arsenal, which was playing Brighton later on Saturday.
“Today is a big win,” Cherki told TNT Sports. “I'm proud of the team because this game is very complicated to win.”
It was Cherki's second goal in three games and fifth over all. He also provided an assist with an intricate pass to Tijjani Reijnders to put City ahead three minutes into the second half.
Omari Hutchinson equalized for relegation-fighting Forest, which was holding out for a crucial point until Cherki fired through a crowded box for the winner.
Guardiola looks like a man who believes his team is ready to regain the title it surrendered to Liverpool last season. He joined in the celebrations with the traveling fans after the final whistle — acting conductor as they celebrated wildly after another win.
