WASHINGTON: Pakistan is among the countries that could benefit from a new United States temporary licence allowing selected energy-importing nations to access Russian oil, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

The US has introduced a 30-day general licence issued by the US Department of the Treasury to ease immediate supply pressures in global crude markets and provide relief to energy-vulnerable countries.

Diplomatic sources said the arrangement may also apply to Pakistan, though they cautioned that Islamabad might not be able to fully take advantage of the concession due to limited technical capacity.

US offers 30-day relief to energy-vulnerable countries

They noted that Pakistan has not previously imported Russian crude at scale and may lack the refining infrastructure required to process such shipments. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on a social media post released on Monday that his department is issuing a temporary 30-day general licence to “provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea.”

“This extension will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these nations to provide specific licences as needed,” he wrote in a post on X. “This general licence will help stabilise the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries.”

Bessent added that the licence will also help reroute existing supply to countries most in need by “reducing China’s ability to stockpile discounted oil”.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026