Trafigura, Putin and those useless sanctions

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Summary: This exposé explores how Trafigura maintained close ties with Russia’s state oil firm Rosneft even after sanctions, undermining Western attempts to pressure the Kremlin post-Ukraine invasion. Despite sanctions, Trafigura continued buying Russian oil via Swiss and Singaporean entities, allowing Moscow to profit from high oil prices amid war. The piece contextualizes this within broader geopolitical strategies—linking Trafigura and Rosneft to the Eurasian Economic Forum, backed by Russian oligarchs and European politicians with pro-Putin leanings. The article highlights how Russian oil flows, energy dependency, and Western divisions render sanctions ineffective. It also delves into how rare earths and fossil fuel dependencies make Europe and the US vulnerable to geopolitical manipulation, effectively fueling authoritarian regimes despite public condemnations​.

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Source: IBI World