US sanctions push Lukoil to sell all Moldovan assets

US sanctions are forcing Lukoil to sell all of its assets in Moldova, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu told the Moldovan branch of Radio Free Europe.

The minister said that they effectively have no choice, warning that the transactions would be blocked otherwise, Caliber.Az reports.

He also noted that Moldova has no interest in purchasing the gas station network of Lukoil-Moldova’s subsidiary.

However, this does not prevent the Moldovan authorities from expropriating the fuel terminal at Chisinau Airport before completing negotiations for its purchase.

Junghietu added that Lukoil’s management is cooperating with the process and is not obstructing the transfer of assets, ensuring the procedure is completed.

The US government added Lukoil to its sanctions list in October 2025 as part of a broader strategy to “degrade” Russia’s oil sector and reduce the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine by targeting major energy producers like Lukoil and Rosneft.

These measures give Washington sweeping authority to restrict Lukoil’s overseas operations and discourage foreign partners from doing business with the company, contributing to its decision to divest many international assets.

The sanctions freeze Lukoil’s assets in the US, bar American firms from engaging in most transactions with it without a licence, and have disrupted foreign sales and operations pending approval from the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

By Jeyhun Aghazada