The Financial Times reports that “US and EU sanctions on Russia’s oil sector are unlikely to have a major effect on production, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, chiming with comments from some market watchers that the restrictions are toothless.”  

“’Neither set of sanctions will have any tangible near term impact on supplies. Even for the medium term, their impact appears questionable,’ the energy watchdog for wealthy nations said in its widely-followed monthly oil market report .”  

“’EU sanctions are highly selective, exclude agreed contracts, and can only be extended past one year by consensus. Their ‘perimeter’ seems loosely defined, potentially leaving room for finding ways around the most constraining measures,’ it added.”