U.S. Temporarily Allows Countries to Buy Russian Oil Already at Sea
U.S. Temporarily Allows Countries to Buy Russian Oil at Sea to Stabilize Global Prices
In an effort to calm surging global oil prices, the United States Department of the Treasury has introduced a temporary policy allowing countries to purchase Russian oil shipments that are already at sea.
The measure will remain in effect for 30 days, until April 11, and is aimed at easing pressure on the global energy market.
On March 12, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the decision in a post on the social media platform X.
He explained that the United States is “temporarily allowing countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea” as a short-term step to stabilize energy supplies and prevent further price spikes.
According to Bessent, the measure is strictly limited in scope and applies only to oil shipments that had already been loaded and were in transit before the policy was announced. He emphasized that the decision will not significantly increase revenue for the Russian government, noting that most of Moscow’s energy income is generated through taxes that are assessed when the oil is extracted rather than when it is sold.
Further details released on the Treasury Department’s official website clarify that the exemption applies to Russian crude oil and petroleum products that were loaded onto ships before or at 12:01 AM (U.S. time) on March 12. Countries will be allowed to complete purchases of these shipments until 12:01 PM on April 11, after which the exemption will expire.
The announcement came just one day after the United States Department of Energy said it would release 172 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This release is part of a larger coordinated effort among members of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which collectively announced a plan on March 11 to inject about 400 million barrels of oil into global markets in order to curb rising fuel prices.
Despite these measures, oil prices have continued to climb. Global benchmark prices are currently trading around $95 to $100 per barrel, reflecting ongoing supply concerns and geopolitical tensions affecting energy markets.
This is not the first time Washington has granted such a temporary exemption. Earlier, the Treasury Department allowed India to purchase Russian oil that was already at sea for a similar 30-day window. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, New Delhi purchased approximately 30 million barrels of Russian crude after receiving that permission.
India emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian oil following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Western sanctions pushed Moscow to redirect exports toward Asian markets at discounted prices. However, in recent months India has reportedly reduced its purchases after reaching new trade understandings with Washington.
Meanwhile, data reported by The Guardian suggests that Russia may have earned around €6 billion (about $6.9 billion) from exports of fossil fuels—including crude oil, natural gas, and coal—in just two weeks after tensions in the Middle East escalated. A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) also indicated that the average price of these energy products has risen about 14% this month compared with February, highlighting the impact of geopolitical instability on global energy costs.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russian oil has faced strict restrictions from Western nations. The United States, the European Union, and members of the Group of Seven imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow’s energy sector. These measures include bans on importing Russian crude oil and many petroleum products, as well as a price cap system designed to limit Russia’s earnings from energy exports.
Under the price cap rules, Western shipping companies, insurers, and financial institutions are only allowed to provide services for Russian oil shipments if the oil is sold below $48 per barrel. In addition, dozens of oil tankers suspected of helping Russia circumvent sanctions through shadow shipping networks have been blacklisted.
Analysts say the new 30-day exemption reflects Washington’s attempt to balance sanctions on Russia with the need to stabilize global energy markets, especially at a time when supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions continue to push oil prices higher.
Forty-Eight Hours After Our Wedding, My Husband Slapped Me And Called It Family Tradition—But The Hidden Camera Was Never His
Forty-Eight Hours After Our Wedding, My Husband Slapped Me And Called It Family Tradition—But The Hidden Camera Was Never His
The first humiliation arrived before breakfast.
The first slap arrived seconds later.
His palm cracked across my face with enough force to whip my head sideways. The sound ricocheted through the luxury kitchen, bouncing off marble walls and polished glass until even the humming espresso machine seemed to fall silent.
No one moved.
Sunlight spilled across the stone floor, catching the diamonds on my wedding ring as my husband slowly lowered the hand he had just used to strike me.
Forty-eight hours earlier, that same hand had slipped the ring onto my finger while promising love, respect, and a lifetime of partnership.
Now it trembled with anger instead.
The white roses from our wedding still filled silver vases throughout the lake house. Half-empty champagne flutes remained on the terrace overlooking the water. My wedding gown still hung untouched upstairs because some part of me wasn't ready to believe that my marriage had ended before it had truly begun.
My crime?
I had politely asked Graham's younger sister to place her dirty smoothie glass in the dishwasher instead of abandoning it on the marble countertop.
Avery Whitaker smiled as though I had just entertained her.
Without breaking eye contact, she picked up the glass, tilted it deliberately, and let thick green smoothie spread across the spotless white floor.
"There," she said sweetly. "Since you love giving instructions, start by cleaning that."
The sting on my cheek burned.
The taste of blood settled quietly against my tongue.
But humiliation has a strange gift.
Sometimes it doesn't break you.
Sometimes it strips away every illusion.
Across the breakfast table, Patricia Whitaker calmly lifted her porcelain teacup as if watching a weather report instead of witnessing her son assault his wife.
Not surprise.
Not concern.
Not a single word asking whether I was hurt.
Only approval.
Her husband, Warren, folded his financial newspaper with visible annoyance, like someone irritated that family drama had interrupted a peaceful morning.
"You'll learn," Patricia said smoothly. "Women who marry into this family don't correct Whitakers under our own roof."
Graham stepped closer until only inches separated us.
His voice dropped into the controlled tone abusive people mistake for authority.
"You're my wife now, Claire. You're not running boardrooms anymore. You don't tell my sister—or anyone in this family—what to do."
I brushed my thumb across the corner of my mouth.
A thin streak of blood stained my fingertip.
Then my eyes drifted past him.
Toward the small black security camera mounted beside the pantry.
Patricia noticed immediately.
A quiet laugh escaped her.
"Don't embarrass yourself," she said. "Every camera in this estate belongs to us."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"No, Patricia."
I paused just long enough for every heartbeat in the room to become audible.
"They really don't."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Not because they understood.
Because they sensed they should.
Graham grabbed my wrist hard enough to leave pale fingerprints.
"What did you just say?"
Without raising my voice, I slipped free, removed my wedding ring, and placed it carefully beside the puddle of green smoothie.
"I said," I answered evenly, "you made the mistake of believing I was powerless."
Avery laughed, but confidence had already begun leaking from her voice.
"Oh, please. Dramatic speeches don't scare anyone."
Two days ago these same people had embraced me beneath an arch of white flowers overlooking the lake.
They called me family.
They called me a blessing.
They toasted to respect, loyalty, and new beginnings.
The performance ended the moment the wedding guests drove away.
Graham insisted we spend our first week at the Whitaker estate so I could "learn how this family works."
He encouraged me to ignore my office, silence every work notification, and dedicate myself completely to becoming a Whitaker.
He believed I was stepping away from power.
What he never realized...
...was that power had quietly walked into his family long before the wedding ceremony began.
For more than ten years, I had built my career studying families exactly like this.
Families that disguised control as tradition.
Cruelty as discipline.
Fear as loyalty.
Families convinced that wealth placed them beyond consequences.
Slowly, I reached into my cardigan pocket and removed a second phone.
Not my personal phone.
Not the one anyone had ever seen.
The encrypted device unlocked beneath my thumb.
For the first time all morning...
Graham looked genuinely afraid.
