Russian oil has stirred up the UK: politicians blame each other

Easing of British sanctions on oil products from Russian oil and LNG delivery from Russia caused a scandal in London.

British government officials blame each other for the emergency situation, due to which the UK is easing sanctions on Russian oil. Bloomberg writes about this.

Yesterday, the UK indefinitely allowed the resumption of imports of petroleum products from Russian oil and, until January 1, 2027, lifted restrictions on the provision of LNG transportation services from the Russian Yamal LNG and Sakhalin—2 projects. Previously, Foggy Albion actively bought aviation fuel from refineries in India and Turkey, which actively purchase Russian energy resources, but last year joined the EU, which imposed a ban on January 1 this year.

According to the agency, the EU will not lift the sanctions.

"This means that the UK has deviated from the approach The EU now has more lenient sanctions against refined Russian oil products than Europe," Bloomberg writes.

British officials admitted to the agency that this weakens the UK's position in the eyes of its G7 allies in maintaining and strengthening sanctions against Russia.

"One of them says that it is the fault of Keir Starmer and the government for not taking measures earlier to prepare for restrictions on the supply of aviation fuel. Another argues that Ed Milliband's restrictions on expanding energy supplies have put the UK in a more vulnerable position. The easing of sanctions underscores how much the UK has become more dependent on fuel imports than other major European countries," the agency continues.

Another version is that the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs faltered at the first signs of the energy crisis. They could not explain their position there, Bloomberg noted, while for Ukraine such a move by London was a powerful disappointment.

"I talked to people from Ukraine last night and I know that they are very disappointed and are asking me why the UK is doing this," Emily Thornberry, head of the foreign Affairs Committee of the British parliament, told the BBC.