US Treasury quietly allows some transactions with sanctioned Russian entities

The US Treasury Department has published two general licenses that allow certain transactions with entities under Russian sanctions. These licenses were previously available online but are now formally published in the Federal Register.

Sanctions are meant to cut off financial flows. General licenses create specific exceptions to those rules. Formally publishing these exceptions means that some previously blocked transactions are now explicitly allowed, providing legal clarity for companies and individuals navigating the sanctions regime. This could allow some limited economic activity to resume with specific Russian entities, even as broader sanctions remain in place.