ExxonMobil Corporation, an American oil company, has succeeded in abolishing a fine of $ 2 million (1.8 million euros) for actions that the US Treasury previously regarded as a violation of sanctions against Russian companies imposed due to Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea. The corresponding verdict was issued on Tuesday, December 31, by a federal judge of the Dallas District Court Jane Boyle, writes DW.

According to the court ruling, ExxonMobil was not given enough time to wind down contracts with the Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, for which Washington’s sectoral sanctions apply..

A fine on an American corporation was imposed in 2017 by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury. According to ExxonMobil representatives, OFAC's assessment of the decree signed by US President Barack Obama violated the Administrative Procedure Act and was “arbitrary and subjective”.

ExxonMobil in May 2014 signed eight contracts with Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. According to OFAC, the American concern did not voluntarily report a violation of the sanctions regime and showed a gross disregard for the US sanctions requirements, which caused significant damage to the sanctions program related to Ukraine. In response to numerous media inquiries from March to April 2014, the White House explained. Thus, in accordance with the clarifications of the White House, it was mainly a question of banning business with individuals listed on the Obama list.

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The European Union and the United States in 2014 introduced several different sanctions packages against Russian companies due to the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea to the Russian Federation. Rosneft was subject to sectoral sanctions, including restrictions on the supply of equipment and the provision of services, the company was also limited access to the capital markets of the EU and the USA, and its head Sechin was included in the personal US sanctions list by decree of March 16, 2014.