Brent Oil Hits $100 a Barrel for the First Time Since 2014

(Bloomberg) -- Brent oil surged to $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 as Russia’s dramatic escalation of the Ukraine crisis sparked fears of a disruption to the region’s critical energy exports.

Futures in London jumped as much as 3.3% after a report that President Vladimir Putin has decided to conduct a special operation to “protect” the Donbas region. This week, Putin announced he’d send “peacekeeping forces” into the two separatist regions recognized by Moscow, heightening fears among western governments of a full-blown invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is a key supplier of energy to global customers, with Europe relying on the nation for about a quarter of its oil supplies and a third of its gas.

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