US issues sanctions waiver on Russian oil sales again

France24 · 🇫🇷 public France · Apr 18, 2026 · 367 words

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What to know about US issues sanctions waiver on Russian oil sales again

US issues sanctions waiver on Russian oil sales again The Trump administration on Friday issued a one-month sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded at sea, despite the treasury secretary indicating two days…

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center100%

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6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The move comes amid efforts to ease global energy prices, which have surged following the Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Common ground

US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea, extending an earlier move to soften surging energy prices.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: US issues sanctions waiver on Russian oil sales again?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would not renew the waiver?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260418-us-extends-sanctions-waiver-on-russi…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would not renew the waiver”

CORROBORATED

The Guardian and Reuters (via cross-reference) both report that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had stated Washington would not renew the waiver.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The extension comes two days after the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said Washington would not be renewing the waiver that allowed countries to purchase Russian oil without facing US sanctions.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/17/strait-of-horm…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The extension comes two days after Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would not be renewing the waiver that allowed countries to purchase Russian oil without facing US sanctions, Reuters…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/17/middle-ea…

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Claim 2: “It prolongs an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11.”

CORROBORATED

CNBC and France 24 both explicitly state that this new waiver replaces or prolongs an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11.

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web search NEUTRAL — The United States has again temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil, issuing a new waiver that allows certain shipments already at sea to be delivered and sold, even as Washington publicly ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-oil-sanctions-waiver-treasury…

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web search NEUTRAL — It replaces a 30-day waiver that expired on April 11 and excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/18/us-renews-russian-oil-waiver…

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web search NEUTRAL — It prolongs an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11. On Wednesday, however, Bessent had told reporters that the United States would not make such an extension for Russian oil ...
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260418-us-extends-sanct…

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Claim 3: “Tehran retaliated by effectively closing off the Strait of Hormuz”

CORROBORATED

Web search results and a Wikipedia entry regarding the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis confirm that Iran closed the Strait in retaliation to strikes and the US-Israeli war.

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web search NEUTRAL — Until the US–Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was open and about 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

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web search NEUTRAL — The US state department has issued a message urging American citizens around the globe to be more cautious amid the Iran war.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/22/middle-ea…

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web search NEUTRAL — Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over strikes on Hezbollah.Oil prices plunge, but uncertainty remains as Iran threatens to pull out of ceasefire deal. Oil prices collapsed on Tuesday after Trump announced…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iran-shuts-strait-hormuz…

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Claim 4: “Bessent had told reporters that the United States would not make such an extension for Russian oil – or Iranian oil.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Bessent told reporters the US would not extend exemptions for Russian oil and specifically ruled it out for Iranian oil.

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web search NEUTRAL — Bessent was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 27, 2025, by a 68–29 vote, and sworn in as the 79th U.S. Treasury Secretary on January 28, 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Bessent

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web search NEUTRAL — US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that they do not plan to extend the exemption for Russian seaborne oil and have completely ruled it out for Iranian oil. The statement comes against the back…
https://ukrainetoday.org/united-states-will-not-extend-sanct…

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web search NEUTRAL — US will not extend Russian oil sanctions waiver - Bessent. Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced the cancellation of sanctions exemptions. The restrictions will apply to oil that was in the water b…
https://unn.ua/en/topics/persons/scott-bessent

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Claim 5: “The latest move allows for the purchase of oil and petroleum products that have been loaded onto any vessel as of Friday, through 12:01am (0401 GMT) on May 16.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including France 24 and Blaqloaded, specify the deadline as May 16 at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) for oil loaded as of Friday.

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web search NEUTRAL — The Trump administration on Friday issued a one-month sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded at sea, despite the treasury secretary indicating two days…
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260418-us-extends-sanct…

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web search NEUTRAL — The US Treasury Department has allowed purchases of Russian oil loaded onto vessels as of Friday until May 16.
https://unn.ua/en/news/us-unexpectedly-extended-permission-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels as of Friday, with the provision running until 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on May 16....
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blaqloaded_russia-ship-to-shi…

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Claim 6: “The Trump administration on Friday issued a one-month sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded at sea”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent news sources (France 24, Top Indian News, and another unnamed source in web results) confirm that the Trump administration issued a one-month sanctions waiver for Russian oil already at sea.

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web search NEUTRAL — US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea, extending an earlier move to soften s…
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/us-extends-sanc…

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web search NEUTRAL — This means that for approximately one month, no US sanctions will apply to the purchase of Russian oil loaded at sea. The previous 30-day exemption expired on April 11.
https://www.topindiannews.com/international/us-extends-sanct…

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Claim 7: “French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stressed that "Russia mustn't be getting benefits from what's happening in Iran"”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results provide the exact quote from French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stating that Russia mustn't benefit from events in Iran.

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web search NEUTRAL — This week, after a meeting of Group of Seven finance leaders in Washington, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stressed that "Russia mustn't be getting benefits from what's happening in Iran." He …
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/04/18/us-extends-sanctio…

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web search NEUTRAL — This week, after a meeting of Group of Seven finance leaders in Washington, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure stressed that "Russia mustn't be getting benefits from what's happening in Iran." He …
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/us-extends-sanc…

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web search NEUTRAL — French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said that while tax reductions are being considered across Europe, they would not address the root cause of the crisis a sharp disruption in global energy supply…
https://ln24international.com/2026/03/24/french-finance-mini…

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Claim 8: “Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022, has become the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and other sources confirm the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and describe it as the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.

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web search NEUTRAL — Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered the most serious crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when many people feared the world was on the brink of …
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/russia/putin-says-thinks-russi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, triggered the deadliest conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. What began as a calculated military operation quickly spiraled i…
https://edward-foster23.medium.com/russias-invasion-of-ukrai…

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web search NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022–pres…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.