Latest US sanctions against Russia aim to destabilize international energy markets: Kremlin

On Friday, the US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Russia's energy sector, targeting oil giants Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, over 180 vessels, oil traders, service providers, insurance firms, and energy officials to hinder Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine.

The Treasury also restricted the provision of US services for oil extraction and production in Russia.

“Of course, such decisions cannot but lead to a certain destabilization of international energy markets, oil markets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a press briefing.

Expressing that Moscow will carefully monitor the consequences of the measures and then configure the work of Russian companies to minimize their consequences, Peskov said the routes for the export of Russian energy cannot be “cut off” by the sanctions.

“If something is blocked in one place, alternative options appear in another. Therefore, a search will be conducted for such work options that will minimize the consequences of sanctions,” Peskov further said, defining the sanctions as "illegal."

He went on to comment on the impact of the sanctions on Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, saying that the company will continue its international activities.

"It is clear that the United States will continue to try to undermine the positions of our companies in non-competitive ways. Of course, we expect that we will be able to counteract this," Peskov also said.

He added that the US' outgoing Biden administration will do everything it can to leave President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, and his administration the "worst possible legacy" in terms of bilateral ties with Russia.