Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak attends a session of the Russian Energy Week international forum in Moscow, Russia October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin BAKU (Reuters) – Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Sunday that U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran were having a negative effect on global energy markets, hindering long-term planning and confusing investment decisions. Novak said planning even a few months ahead is tough due to possible sanctions-related volatility, adding that the country imposing sanctions — an apparent reference to the United States — was doing so in order to promote its own goods.