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Sanctions Removal Could Provide Russia With Resources for Drones and Personnel, Zelenskyy Warns

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Dariia Mykhailenko
News Writer
Russian tanks roll on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. Illustrative photo. (Source: Getty Images)
Russian tanks roll on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade on May 9, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. Illustrative photo. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that lifting sanctions on Russia could provide the Kremlin with additional resources to recruit personnel and supply drones for its ongoing war efforts.

Zelenskyy made the remarks during the interview with Le Monde, according to his X post on March 26.

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“Why do we react so sensitively to sanctions being lifted? Because it’s about money. And money isn’t just tanks. Nobody fights with tanks anymore. Money means drones. Money means people. People mean contracts. And if they don’t have the money for contracts, their strength is declining,| Zelenskyy stated.

The President further emphasized the historical trend that Russia has often faced defeat in conflicts, asserting that the country is currently suffering significant losses.

“They are suffering a terrifying number of casualties—30,000 to 35,000 people a month. Russia cannot keep up with mobilization, contract recruitment, and certainly cannot keep up with training its troops,” he added.

As Zelenskyy pointed out the risks of weakening sanctions, the United States issued a 30-day license that allows the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea. The move is aimed at stabilizing global energy markets, according to the US Department of the Treasury.

The license, which was issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), permits the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products that were loaded onto vessels as of March 12, 2026. The license will remain valid until April 11, 2026.

US Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, clarified that this temporary easing of sanctions would not result in financial gains for the Russian government.

“This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction,” he added.

He stated on social media that the measure is intended to help stabilize global energy markets and avoid price increases amid the ongoing US-Israel operation in Iran.

Amid these concerns, global economic decisions continue to influence Russia’s financial standing. On March 13, Vladyslav Vlasuk, the President’s representative for sanctions policy, remarked that Moscow stands to gain up to $10 billion following the United States' decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil. This move allows Russia to continue selling its oil despite sanctions, which may help stabilize its economy.

"Currently, global oil prices are around $100 per barrel, with Russian Urals crude being a benchmark at approximately $90 per barrel," according to monitoring sources cited by hromadske.

Vlasuk highlighted that this could involve approximately 100 million barrels of oil, equating to a potential value of up to $10 billion.

“It concerns about 100 million barrels of such oil. You can calculate its value—up to 10 billion dollars. This is what Russia could potentially earn. In reality, it will be a little less, as I think the price will decrease. In fact, it would be a mistake to assume that this oil wouldn’t reach its destination without the waiver. Some portion of it would still be sold,” Vlasuk explained.

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