Turkey and Hungary Allowed to Pay for Russian Gas Despite Sanctions

The United States has granted an exemption to Turkey and Hungary, allowing them to continue making payments for Russian natural gas supplied through Gazprombank, despite the sanctions imposed on the Russian bank. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed the decision, stating that the exemption enables Turkey to process payments for Russian gas, which is delivered via the TurkStream pipeline through Bulgaria.

In November, the US had imposed sanctions on Gazprombank, creating complications for countries purchasing Russian natural gas. However, this recent exemption ensures that Turkey, which relies heavily on Russian gas for its energy needs, can maintain its imports. Russia supplies over half of Turkey's pipeline gas, with more than 21 billion cubic meters of Russian gas imported last year alone.

Alongside Turkey, Hungary also received a similar exemption from the US. Hungary, which is highly dependent on Russian oil and gas, had faced the same payment restrictions due to the Gazprombank sanctions.