Expert names countries interested in Russian oil exports

In 2025, Russia will continue to export its oil to other foreign countries interested in it, while the growth of fuel sales volumes can hardly be expected. Iqbal Guliyev, deputy director of the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy at MGIMO, expressed this opinion in a conversation with Izvestia on January 31.

"Export growth in 2025, in my opinion, is not expected. There will remain a small volume of pipeline exports, which is in Europe, a couple of countries that will still accept Russian oil until the end of this year. But these volumes are not the same as they were two or three years ago," Guliyev said.

He noted that the key partners in receiving Russian oil this year will remain China and India, taking the leading role in Russian oil exports.

"Oil production may even increase this year, but a large volume will go to oil refining, given a good deal. Given that there is a good program to modernize refineries, I hope it will have a positive effect. It will strengthen stability and stability in the domestic market of oil products," the expert said.

At the same time, one should not underestimate the led US anti-Russian sanctions on the oil industry.

"U.S. President Donald Trump already with new forces, as a good businessman, will use sanctions as an element of political bargaining. This applies not only to Russia, but also to Iran. Because the trade wars that Trump will start and continue, with respect to China, and other countries, can affect the volume of global demand for oil," Guliyev added.

Donald will give: experts predict the collapse of OPEC and OPEC+

The new US president has lifted restrictions on the country's oil production

Earlier, on January 24, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that oil prices do not affect the conflict in Ukraine. Commenting on Trump's statements that lower oil prices could put pressure on Moscow and change the course of the special operation, Peskov noted that there is no connection between the Ukrainian conflict and oil prices.

Trump said on January 23 that he intends to ask the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Saudi Arabia to lower oil prices, among other things, to pressure Russia over Ukraine. According to him, if OPEC fulfills his request, the Ukrainian conflict will allegedly be over.

Before that, on January 20, it was reported that the volume of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to China in 2024 increased by 3.3% to 8.3 million tons compared to 2023. Last year, China also increased imports of Russian oil by 1.3% to 108.47 million tons compared to 2023.

At the same time, Igor Yushkov, leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, expert and lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted in a conversation with Izvestia that China has long been one of the largest buyers of Russian energy carriers. It has held this position for many years, even before the tightening of anti-Russian sanctions in 2022, being in first place in terms of the volume of Russian oil purchases.