HOUSTON - Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil company, appeared to distance itself from President Vladimir Putin on Thursday by calling for a"fast resolution" toThe statement most likely reflects the company's desire to protect its extensive overseas operations, which include a network of more than 200 franchised gas stations in US states such as New York and New Jersey. Lukoil is one of the most recognisable Russian brands in the United States.
Lukoil has long projected a more independent image than Rosneft, a state-controlled company that dominates the Russian oil industry. Lukoil was founded in 1991 as a state-owned enterprise as the Soviet Union was falling apart. The company went private in 1993 and, seven years later, acquired Getty Oil, an American company, which gave Lukoil a network of US filling stations.
It was not clear whether the move was a sign that executives of Russia's largest private enterprise were breaking with Putin or was mainly an effort to persuade Western leaders, business partners and customers to keep doing business with the company. Although petroleum products are the biggest Russian import in the United States and Europe, Russian products and sports teams have become pariahs. Several states have banned the sale of Russian vodka, and restaurants, stores and bars across the United States have taken Russian spirits off their shelves.