Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian government confirmed on Monday (18/5/2026) that it will proceed with its crude oil imports from Russia despite the formal expiration of the United States’ temporary sanctions waiver on Saturday.
The move was part of a phased procurement strategy to stabilize the archipelago's domestic energy reserves amid volatile global supply chains.
"The process is still ongoing. Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot recently returned from Russia, so things are moving forward," said Director General of Oil and Gas Laode Sulaeman, as cited by antaranews.com.
He emphasized that Indonesia maintains an independent and active foreign policy, further strengthened by its alignment as a member of the BRICS economic bloc.
The shipment forms part of a broader bilateral agreement to gradually import up to 150 million barrels of Russian crude oil through the end of 2026. The US Department of the Treasury had previously issued a general license permitting the offloading of specific Russian oil cargoes between 17 April 2026 and 16 May 2026. Despite the expiration of this specific window, Indonesian officials reassured that securing fuel supplies for domestic consumers and industrial sectors remains the state's primary operational priority.
(mg/inp/pr/rs)
