Ministers Slammed Over ‘Insane’ Decision To Ease Russian Oil Sanctions Despite Ukraine War

Ministers have been slammed for relaxing sanctions on Russian oil despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The government said it would allow the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid concerns about potential shortages caused by the war in Iran.

The move flies in the face of a previous government pledge to block Russian oil refined in other countries in order to “further restrict the flow of funds to the Kremlin”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch posted on X: “After 18 months of ‘standing up to Putin’, the Labour government quietly issued a licence allowing imports of Russian oil refined in third countries.

“Yesterday Labour MPs voted AGAINST UK oil and gas licences. We are now importing from Russia instead of drilling in the North Sea. Insane.”

Prices at the pump have soared since the start of the Iran war, which has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway which previously transported around one-fifth of the global oil supply.

On Tuesday, the RAC said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts stands at 158.5p, which is the most expensive it has been since December 2022.

In March, energy secretary Ed Miliband insisted the UK government would not copy America’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil.

He said: “We’ve not lifted our sanctions against Russia because it is very, very important that we continue to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“This was an illegal invasion launched more than four years ago. Our solidarity with the Ukrainian people has been incredibly important throughout these four years.

“We continue to believe that for the good the UK, we continue to maintain sanctions on Russia. We think it is incredibly important that we send a clear message to Putin on these questions.”

The Treasury has been contacted for comment.

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.