The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated two Russia-related general licenses involving certain transactions involving Lukoil International GmbH, the international business of Russian energy firm Lukoil. One FAQ covers General License 131A (see 2512100017), which authorizes certain activities related to the negotiation of contracts for the sale of Lukoil International, and the other FAQ covers GL 131A along with GL 128B (see 2512040018), which authorizes certain transactions involving Lukoil retail service stations located outside Russia.
The Council of the European Union on Dec. 18 imposed sanctions on 41 shadow fleet vessels helping Russia move energy or items in support of the Russian military. The vessels are now subject to a "port access ban and ban on provision of a broad range of services related to maritime transport." The EU's sanctions on the shadow fleet now extend to almost 600 vessels. The bloc earlier in the week sanctioned people and four entities responsible for supporting Russia’s shadow fleet (see 2512150038).
The U.S. this week sanctioned two International Criminal Court judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, after accusing them of aiding the court's "politicized actions" against Israel. The State Department said the judges are helping the ICC "investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent." They also voted in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on Dec. 15. The ICC is investigating the Israeli government for committing alleged war crimes against civilians in Gaza.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned 29 ships and their management companies, which it said are operating as part of Iran's shadow fleet and helping the country transport petroleum and petroleum products through "deceptive shipping practices." They have helped Iran move hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian petroleum, OFAC said.
Open-source intelligence software firm WireScreen this week launched a dataset that tracks electronics trade between China and Russia, it said. The data "captures multiyear electronics trade activity," including details on supplier-customer relationships, product origins and shipment values, the firm said, including the "continued movement of Western-branded electronics through Chinese transshipment points to Russian buyers." WireScreen said the data allows users to identify high-risk parties actively shipping to sanctioned jurisdictions and monitor transshipment patterns.
Claire O'Neill McCleskey and Claire Grunewald, two former sanctions officials with the Office of Foreign Assets Control, have launched sanctions consulting firm Clarity Compliance Consulting, they announced on LinkedIn. O'Neill McCleskey previously served as head of OFAC's compliance division before leaving in October, and Grunewald was an OFAC sanctions compliance officer before leaving in September.
The U.K.'s Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation published guidance this week on reporting suspected sanctions violations, including what kind of information such reports should include and who should submit them.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he sent a “friendly note” to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Dec. 16 indicating that he hopes the upper chamber can take up a bill to sanction officials who undermine democracy in the Republic of Georgia.
The House Select Committee on China and the House and Senate Intelligence committees said in a report released Dec. 17 that many Energy Department-funded research projects have been conducted with Chinese entities the U.S. government has placed on restricted lists for their ties to China’s military or role in human rights abuses.
The Senate voted 77-20 on Dec. 17 to pass the final FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in China, repeal a Syria sanctions law and authorize sanctioning certain entities that finance opioid trafficking. The NDAA, which the House approved Dec. 10 (see 2512110013), now heads to President Donald Trump for his expected signature.