Keir Starmer has dismissed Tory claims that the Government is lifting sanctions on Russian oil and accused Kemi Badenoch of not doing “her homework”.
The Prime Minister tore into the Conservative leader while announcing a “strong new package” of sanctions that he claimed went further than any previous measures. It follows the issuing of a new trade licence which allows for the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs due to the Iran war.
Britain's decision follows a similar move by the United States, which extended a sanctions waiver allowing purchases of Russian seaborne oil to support “energy-vulnerable” countries hit by the Iran war. The U.K. has banned direct Russian imports of coal, gas and oil since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but a loophole has seen it import jet fuel and other oil products made at refineries in third countries that could have originated from Russia. Ministers pledged earlier this year they would close the loophole, but now appear to have U-turned.
PM Defends New Sanctions Package
Speaking at PMQs, Ms Badenoch accused the Government of watering down the sanctions, something fiercely denied by ministers. The PM claimed the short-term licences were about phasing stronger sanctions in. He said: “What we announced yesterday was a strong new package of new sanctions going well beyond existing sanctions, so it is a new package. This includes new bans on maritime services on LNG and new bans on refined oil products from Russia.
“We also issued two targeted short-term licences to phase the new sanctions in and to protect UK consumers. That is standard practice. This Government has phased in sanctions in this way before and the last government used exactly the same technique when they introduced sanctions. So, these are new sanctions being phased in. This is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever, and we will continue to work with our allies on further sanction packages.”
Minister Admits Clumsy Communication
Later during an Urgent Question on the licences, Businesses and Trade Minister Sir Chris Bryant admitted the Government handled the issue poorly. He said: “We’ve handled this clumsily and that’s entirely my fault and I apologise to all honourable members. I think we’ve ended up giving the wrong impression of what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to strengthen the regime (of sanctions), not weaken it. I am proud of what we are doing today, I am not hiding away from what we are doing today, but we could have communicated it better, and that's my fault.”
He said the new legislation meant it would ban imported Russian oil that had been refined in a third country. Sir Chris said: “I want to make sure that these licences will be as temporary as possible.”
The PM has been a strong supporter of Ukraine and enjoyed a close relationship with Volodymyr Zelensky, with the pair hugging outside Downing Street after Donald Trump's clash with the Ukrainian President at the White House. Mr Starmer has also supported Mr Zelensky through the Coalition of the Willing, the group of 34 countries set up to strengthen support for Ukraine.
