Igor Sechin, the head of Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft, on Saturday said he approved of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals to defend domestic energy producers.
Speaking at a conference in Qatar, he said that Trump’s promises during his election campaign involved “fitting” economic measures, including protecting domestic energy producers and the market.
Trump’s return to the White House on Jan. 20 is viewed with cautious optimism by some in Russia, though others in Moscow think another U.S. president will change little.
Russia’s ties with the United States under the Joe Biden administration tanked to a post-Cold War low over a number of issues, including the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on winning the U.S. election, praising him for showing courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him, and said Moscow was ready for dialogue with the Republican president-elect.
Last month, Trump pledged big tariffs on the United States’ three largest trading partners – Canada, Mexico and China – detailing how he will implement campaign promises, which many say could trigger trade wars.
“It’s not surprising that Canada, Mexico, China and Europe will have to suffer. After all, Donald Trump is the president of the United States, not Mexico or Canada,” Sechin said.
During his election campaign, Trump also pledged to boost domestic oil and natural gas output.
Sechin also said that Trump would likely lift all restrictions on hydrocarbons production, reduce taxes and divert investments to the “real” energy sector from “illusory” alternative sources.
(Reporting by Olesya Astakhova and Felix Light; Writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Mark Potter and Clelia Oziel)