The Kremlin confirmed Tuesday that the Russian government is in negotiations with other countries to purchase gasoline as it tries to stabilize its domestic market following a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries and energy infrastructure that have led to fuel rationing.
“Discussions are actively being held,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily briefing. Peskov declined to name the specific countries involved in the talks.
“If agreements can be reached at acceptable price points, then [imports] will move forward,” he added.
Last week, Reuters cited industry sources as saying that Russia was discussing importing 50,000 metric tons of AI-92 grade gasoline from Kazakhstan. At the time, Kazakhstan’s energy minister said that Moscow had not formally approached Astana for those supplies.
President Vladimir Putin acknowledged this weekend that Russia is facing a fuel shortage following recent Ukrainian strikes. He estimated Russia’s total gasoline reserves at 1.7 million metric tons, marking a 4% decline compared to the same period last year.
