Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Ukraine conflict: BP under pressure to sell stake in Russian firm

Ukraine conflict: BP under pressure to sell stake in Russian firm

Oil giant BP is under pressure from the UK government to offload its 20% stake in the Russian state-owned oil firm Rosneft, the BBC has been told.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng spoke to BP boss Bernard Looney on Friday following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He "left Mr Looney in no doubt about the seriousness of government concerns about BP's overexposure to Russian interests", an official said.

BP has said it is "closely watching the concerning developments" in Ukraine.

Mr Looney and former BP chief executive Bob Dudley have a seat on Rosneft's board alongside its chairman Igor Sechin, who is a close friend and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

UK government officials hinted a disposal of BP's stake in Rosneft looked like the only plausible option to remedy a "deeply unsatisfactory" arrangement.

BP has owned the stake in Rosneft for more than a decade.

The PA News agency reported Mr Looney was in Russia as recently as October, when he appeared on a panel with Mr Putin, which he later described as a "privilege".

BP's final year results, published two weeks ago, revealed Rosneft accounted for $2.7bn (£2bn) of its profits, about a fifth of its total.

Mr Looney said at the time Russia was "a large member of the energy system. We avoid the politics, that serves us well in many countries around the world".

BP admitted last year sanctions on Russia could be problematic for its business and this week western allies have imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia.


BP's 20% stake in a company majority-owned by the Russian state was always uncomfortable and Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led the government to think it untenable.

The boss of BP sits on a board with close Putin friend and ally, Rosneft Chairman Igor Sechin and other sanctioned board members.

Sources close to the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng suggested selling the stake seems the only palatable solution.

It's proved a valuable stake for BP as oil prices have risen and it contributed nearly $3bn to BP profits last year.

It is a stark example of a grim paradox. The higher oil and gas prices rise, the more the countries that are dependent on Russian energy provide the fuel for the very war machine they are trying to stop.

In response to questions about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, BP said: "We are doing all we can to monitor the fast-changing situation.

"We are accounting for all our team and will continue to support them and provide any help they need.

"BP will, of course, comply with all relevant sanctions."

Following the invasion on Thursday, oil prices surged past $100 (£74) a barrel to hit their highest level for more than seven years.

Russia is the second biggest exporter of crude oil, and is also the world's largest natural gas exporter.

Europe gets nearly a third of its oil and about 40% of its gas from Russia, much of it flowing through pipelines across Ukrainian territory.

Concerns remain that sanctions could constrict supplies and drive up prices worldwide.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
×