U.S. Extends Sanctions Waiver for Türkiye on Russian Gas Payments Until May — Bloomberg

The United States has agreed to extend a sanctions exemption for Türkiye, allowing Ankara to continue paying for Russian natural gas until May, Orda reports, citing Bloomberg referencing a Turkish official directly familiar with the matter.

The previous waiver was set to expire on March 20, but Washington opted to prolong it.

According to Bloomberg’s estimates based on data from Türkiye’s national energy regulator, more than 45% of the country’s gas imports in 2023 came from Russia.

In November, the U.S. imposed sanctions on over 50 Russian banks, including Gazprombank, which handles most energy-related payments.

However, in December, it was revealed that Türkiye and Hungary had received special exemptions, allowing them to continue using Gazprombank for gas transactions.