politics
UK sets 2027 deadline to end imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil
The government will include an end date of 1 January 2027 in its temporary import licence and will review the licence every two weeks. The move follows earlier sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine.
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The UK government has committed to banning imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil by 1 January 2027. The ban forms part of the government's package of sanctions on Moscow following the war with Ukraine. In May the government said it would gradually phase out the use of diesel and jet fuel refined in third countries from Russian crude oil.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant said the end date is a clear signal that the UK continues to ratchet up maximum pressure on Russia. He added that the government will include an end date of 1st January 2027 in the licence at the latest and will continue to keep the licence under continuous review. The temporary licence to import those products will be reviewed every two weeks.
Bryant said he had committed to the House of Commons that the government would review the temporary general licence for diesel and jet fuel on a fortnightly basis and lift it as soon as practicable. The EU warned it is not the time to roll back sanctions against Moscow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister Stephen Doughty said the new measures will stop refined oil made from Russian crude from entering the UK through third countries.
Doughty said the UK is maximising pressure on Russia while maintaining stability at home and will continue to use every lever available to debilitate Putin's war machine and support Ukraine. Global oil prices have been pushed up by the US and Israel conflict with Iran. The effective halt of trade through the Strait of Hormuz has reduced global oil supplies.
Before the conflict, the global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading around $70 a barrel; it is currently trading around $87. Sir Bill Browder, a longstanding critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told the BBC the decision was absurd. He said on one hand the UK is giving Ukraine billions to fight off Russia and on the other giving Russia billions for their diesel and jet fuel to buy weapons to attack Ukraine.
