The Government has relaxed sanctions on Russian crude oil, allowing for the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs.
Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
A senior Labour MP has slammed the Government’s decision to ease sanction on Russian oil.
Dame Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said Ukrainians have been “very let down”.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also slammed the decision to grant a trade licence, which came into effect on Wednesday and permits the imports “indefinitely”.
Dame Emily told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are talking about our allies in Ukraine who have been fighting a war bravely against Russia for years and years with our support.
“They have looked to Britain as one of their most important allies, and they don’t understand, given that we promised that we would stop this loophole in October, and we still haven’t done it. In fact, it seems to have got worse. People feel very let down.”
She said that Ukraine has been able to attack oil refining facilities, adding: “The capacity in Russia has gone down by 10%.
“It is really hurting the Russian economy and they believe that every bit of joint pressure they make with their allies is pushing Russia ever closer to ending the war because this is absolutely crippling their economy.”
According to the licence, the sanctions carve-out will be periodically reviewed as fuel prices rise due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The Government had previously announced the UK would block Russian oil refined in other countries, such as India, in a bid to “further restrict the flow of funds to the Kremlin”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called the move to waive some of the sanctions “insane”.
She posted on X: “After 18 months of ‘standing up to Putin’ the Labour govt 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.”
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.
Following the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28, the price had previously peaked at 158.3p on April 15.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams earlier this week described the recent rise as “bad news for drivers ahead of the bank holiday” and warned prices are set to become even more expensive.”
He said: “RAC analysis of wholesale fuel data unfortunately indicates that unleaded is now likely to increase to at least 160p a litre in the coming weeks, unless there’s a dramatic and sustained drop in the price of oil which has been above 100 US dollars a barrel since late April.”
It has been widely reported that on Thursday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will abandon her plan to increase fuel duty from September.
She announced in her November 2025 budget that the 5p per litre fuel duty reduction – introduced by the Conservative government in March 2022 – would be extended until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to previous levels over the next five years.