The events surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s decisions on sanctions are shaping a new context for global politics. European leaders are publicly discussing their dependence on Russian oil, which is adding to tensions within the EU. Against this background, Ukraine is trying to grab attention and continue negotiations with the US on security, sanctions and future agreements.
Iran allows a few privileged ships through the Strait of Hormuz
Iran is trying to show its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, a body of water that only select ships are allowed to pass through. According to the FT, at least 8 ships passed through the strait this week on an unusual route around the island of Larak off the coast of Iran.
Among the ships are oil tankers and bulk carriers from India, Pakistan and Greece, as well as Iran’s own tankers. Most of the ships had previously called at Iranian ports. Lloyd’s List intelligence previously reported that the countries paid Iran $2 million for safe passage through the strait.
However, it is unlikely that there will be a wider resumption of traffic through the strait now, as Iran sees it as a lever to put pressure on the Trump administration.
Zelensky outlines expectations from meeting with the US: negotiations, sanctions and security
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, that during the Ukrainian-American meeting on March 21, preparations for future trilateral talks, sanctions policy against Russia and bilateral agreements on security guarantees and restoration will be discussed. He noted that Ukraine seeks to obtain clear or at least approximate dates for the next trilateral meeting, which has already been postponed several times. According to the head of state, the schedule is being affected by events in the Middle East, which complicate the diplomatic process. The president stressed the need for greater specificity in negotiations with partners.
Zelensky also stressed the importance of discussing sanctions, including US decisions on Russian energy.
“The recent sanctions that the US side lifted on Russian energy are all risks for us, all of this is an increase in money for Russia and an increase in their capabilities later on the front. This is dangerous. I believe that this meeting is also important from this point of view,” he said.
The president added that the negotiating team will work on preparing documents on ending the war, security guarantees and restoring Ukraine. He also noted that the parties have already agreed on mechanisms for monitoring the ceasefire at the military level, but there is no political will for this yet.
US expands restrictions on Russian oil supplies, adding Cuba to the list
The U.S. Treasury Department has added Cuba to the list of countries prohibited from conducting transactions with Russian oil. The decision was made after reports of a tanker with Russian fuel heading to the island, which is under US sanctions. The updated general license expands restrictions on the sale, supply and unloading of Russian petroleum products. This is an addition to the previous document, which allowed temporary operations with already loaded oil until March 12.
The new version of the license also includes restrictions for Iran, North Korea and the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. According to Kpler Ltd, one of the tankers with about 700 thousand barrels of oil is already heading to Cuba and could arrive at the end of the month. Cuba has been under US sanctions since the late 1950s, and restrictions have recently been tightened. Washington's decision was part of a broader policy of controlling the supply of Russian energy resources.
The US announced the lifting of sanctions on Belarusian companies and banks
US President's special envoy John Cole said the lifting of sanctions on a number of Belarusian institutions and companies. In particular, restrictions have been lifted on Belaruskali, the Belarusian Potash Company, Belinvestbank, the Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance of Belarus. This became known on March 19 through a message associated with the press service of Alexander Lukashenko. “The United States is lifting sanctions on Belinvestbank, the Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance,” Cole said.
According to additional information, this decision is related to the agreements after Cole’s meeting with Lukashenko, during which the Belarusian side announced the release of 250 political prisoners. The American representative noted that the United States is ready to completely lift the sanctions imposed after the events of 2020 if all political prisoners are released by the end of 2026. At the same time, the ISW ISW report notes that such a decision may affect the Russian economy.
“ISW has long believed that the Russian Federation has de facto annexed Belarus and that the countries have a joint defense-industrial base. Thus, the lifting of US sanctions on Belarus is directly beneficial to the Russian government’s military efforts,” the report says.
The reports also specify that the key export sectors of Belarus are at stake, including the production of potash fertilizers. According to Cole, further lifting of sanctions will depend on the fulfillment of human rights conditions. The American side links future decisions to further actions by Minsk regarding the release of prisoners.
Orban and 90 billion for Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says the EU's position on abandoning Russian oil is crazy, since, in his opinion, in the current situation the European Union will not survive without Russian energy resources.
Orban spoke after a meeting of heads of government and state of the EU countries, where one of the central issues was the Hungarian blockade of a loan to Ukraine in connection with the suspension of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
“The thing is that right now there is a global oil shortage knocking on the door. So the behavior and strategy of the Europeans in this matter are simply crazy. We definitely need Russian oil. We will not be able to survive in this situation, which is becoming more and more serious under these conditions, without involving Russian fuel resources. We will not be able to survive in this situation, which is becoming more and more serious under these conditions, without involving Russian fuel resources. Europe will not be able to survive without this,” Viktor Orbán said.
Своєю чергою, також на саміті ЄС у Брюсселі 19 березня канцлер Німеччини Фрідріх Мерц, коментуючи дії Віктора Орбана saidIn turn, also at the EU summit in Brussels on March 19, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, commenting on Viktor Orbán’s actions, stated: “What happened in the Council today is unacceptable, and in the future it will be put to an end.” He labeled Orbán’s blocking of a 90 billion loan for Ukraine “a serious act of disloyalty” and spoke directly about the need to change the rules so that one country can no longer block everything. labeled блокування Орбаном 90‑мільярдної позики для України «серйозним актом нелояльності» та прямо говорив про необхідність змінити правила, щоб одна країна більше не могла все блокувати.
This concerns the already agreed EU long-term loan package for Ukraine worth 90 billion euros until 2027, which Orban is blocking, demanding the resumption of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. Despite Hungary’s veto, Merz and other leaders are publicly promising that Ukraine will receive these funds “one way or another,” and the European Commission must find a mechanism to bypass the blockage.
Photo: kyiv.ua
Author: Danylo Pievchev