The UK was last night desperately trying to reassure Kyiv its new sanctions policy on Russia did not weaken restrictions, after Ukrainian officials warned the change could help Moscow fund its war efforts. While Downing Street insisted the decision to allow the temporary import of Russian oil and jet fuel was only one element of a tougher overall sanctions package, a British minister conceded that the matter had been handled “clumsily”.
The row began after the announcement of expanded UK sanctions against Russia that came into force on Tuesday. Initially announced in October, the sanctions banned Russian oil products processed in a third country. However, short-term exceptions were added because the Iran war has pushed up fuel costs. Jet fuel and diesel refined from Russian crude will be allowed in on a temporary basis, as well as fossil gas shipments from two Russian terminals. The licences will last for three months before they are reviewed.
Ukrainian officials expressed disappointment at the decision. One former senior government figure described western sanctions policy against Russia as “too little too late”. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a Ukrainian government sanctions commissioner, called Downing Street’s decision “to some extent predictable”, writing: “What can one say? They’re treating the symptoms instead of addressing the causes. Russia will channel all the extra money it makes into the war against us.”
Speaking in the Commons, Keir Starmer accused the Conservatives of misrepresenting the sanctions package for political advantage, saying the phasing-in of some sanctions was also done by other countries. He said: “What we announced yesterday was a strong new package of new sanctions going well beyond existing sanctions… 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.”
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, accused Starmer of having “snuck out an announcement that it was removing sanctions on Russian oil”. She said the government was “choosing to buy dirty Russian oil, that money will be used to fund the killing of Ukrainian soldiers”. Chris Bryant, a trade minister, apologised for the handling, saying: “We’ve handled this clumsily and that’s entirely my fault and I apologise to all.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said there had been discussions with the UK about the sanctions package and Ukraine had “conveyed our views”. Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, spoke to her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha. Zelenskyy added that long-term sanctions were “what most effectively influence Russia”, and that the expectation was for further discussions this week.
