German Rosneft subsidiary exempted from Trump's new energy sanctions

Katherina Reiche, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, has said that the US government has provided written guarantees that the German subsidiary of Russian oil giant Rosneft will be exempt from new energy sanctions because the asset is no longer under Russian control.

As reported by Reuters, Reiche said the US issued a "letter of comfort" on the evening of 27 October 2025, recognising that Rosneft's operations in Germany have been fully separated from the Russian parent company.

Germany had sought clarification from Washington after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil.

The German government seized Rosneft's assets following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has repeatedly extended the period of trust management since then.

Germany had an agreement with Russia on the sale of Rosneft Deutschland. Qatar was considered as a potential buyer, but talks ultimately failed as the parties could not agree on a price.

Rosneft Deutschland owns shares in three German oil refineries, which account for 12% of Germany's total refining capacity, meaning the sanctions could have a significant impact on the country.