FSUOGM: UK slaps sanctions on Gazprom, Rosneft CEOs

The UK has slapped sanctions on the CEOs of Russia’s largest oil and gas producers Rosneft and Gazprom over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced a package of sanctions on March 10 in response to the escalating conflict in Ukraine, including an asset freeze and travel ban measures on seven of Russia’s wealthiest and most influential oligarchs, all of which have close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This includes Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller.

Sechin is seen as one of the most influential figures in Putin’s inner circle. Understood to be a member of the so-called Siloviki, a powerful group of Russian politicians that came into politics from the security and military services, Sechin and Putin became close associates in the early 1990s. Sechin served as chief of staff to Putin when he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg in 1994, and when Putin became president in 2000, Sechin became his chief of staff. He went on to become chairman of Rosneft in 2004, and then Russia’s deputy prime minister in 2008-2012. He became CEO of Rosneft in 2012.

Sechin has already been sanctioned by the US and the EU.

Miller likewise served in the Saint Petersburg mayor’s office under Putin. He has served as chairman of the management committee and CEO of Gazprom since 2001.

Other oligarchs to join the UK’s blacklist include Roman Abrahmovich, owner of Chelsea FC, and Nikolai Tokarev, president of Russia’s state-owned pipeline operator Transneft.

Truss said the close ties of the individuals to Putin means “they are complicit in his aggression.”

“The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame,” she said. “Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his brutal war machine.”

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