The United States recently confirmed that it has no objections to Pakistan importing oil from Moscow, shortly after Islamabad placed its first order for Russian crude oil. The US State Department spokesperson, Vedant Patel, stated during the weekly briefing that “each country has the right to make its own decisions regarding its energy supply.”
As per the agreement between Moscow and Islamabad, Pakistan made its first purchase of Russian crude oil last week, with the initial shipment scheduled to arrive at Karachi port in May. This new market will expand Russia’s supplies to India and China, diversifying its oil resources from Western markets due to the conflict in Ukraine.
While speaking on the importance of ensuring a steady supply of energy, Vedant Patel highlighted that the US has been a big supporter of the price cap through the G7. This measure prevents actions being taken to keep Russian energy off the market, thereby catering to the demand for supply.
It’s essential to note that the regulated purchase would only affect third-world countries such as Pakistan since Europe and the US no longer import crude oil from Russia. As Islamabad has not yet signed the agreement, it doesn’t buy oil from Russia. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
