Britain · 20 May, 2026 · 3 min read
Britain Eases Sanctions on Russian Oil Refined in India and Turkey Amid Fuel-Price Pressure
Britain allows imports of diesel and jet fuel refined from Russian oil in third countries. Trade license for these imports takes indefinite duration and will be reviewed periodically.
Whether the policy is mainly “phasing in” or effectively weakening sanctions.
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Frames change public interpretation of intent and commitment to Ukraine.
Sanctions eased, prices surge
Britain eased sanctions on Russian oil refined into jet fuel and diesel in third countries, with a trade license taking effect on Wednesday that permits imports refined in places such as India and Turkey.
The change was tied to fuel-price pressure during the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which the AP said carries about a fifth of the world’s oil usually passes.
In the House of Commons, Keir Starmer said, "So, these are new sanctions being phased in. This is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever," while the government framed the move as protecting consumers.
The Guardian reported that a trade licence permits the import of jet fuel and diesel refined from Russian crude in third countries while another waives restrictions on shipping LNG from two Russian terminals.T
The AP said the licenses have no end date and will be reviewed regularly, and it reported that Starmer spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and that Zelenskyy posted on X, "I am grateful for all the support the United Kingdom provides to Ukraine — our efforts to protect life."
Backlash from Labour and Tories
Kemi Badenoch condemned the decision as a return to buying Russian energy, accusing the government of "choosing to buy dirty Russian oil" and calling it "insane". The Independent reported that Badenoch told the prime minister he should be "ashamed" that British money "will be used to fund the killing of Ukrainian soldiers" during Prime Minister’s Questions. Labour figures also criticized the shift, and the Independent said Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Ukrainians have been "very let down".
The Guardian quoted Thornberry saying, "I’ve heard from people in Ukraine overnight and I know that they are very disappointed" and that they were asking why Britain was doing it. TUkrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko told The Independent that the decision puts a "question mark" over the UK’s friendship with Ukraine and warned it shows Russia that "everything can be bought and everything is at sale."
What happens next
The government said the waivers are part of a phase-in of tougher penalties targeting the Kremlin, with Starmer telling MPs the "short-term" waivers would help protect consumers from the impact of the crisis. Chris Bryant, the business minister, told MPs the coming sanctions would be important in "ratcheting up the pressure on the Russian regime" while being implemented "in a phased way" because of energy-market instability. The Guardian reported that the UK had previously announced it would block Russian oil refined in other countries "to further restrict the flow of funds to the Kremlin," but the new licences allow jet fuel and diesel imports from third countries.T
The AP said Starmer’s office stated he "reaffirmed the U.K.’s steadfast support for Ukraine" after he spoke to Zelenskyy, while a senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv was "clarifying the details" with U.K. officials. The Independent added that former defence secretary Grant Shapps called the carve-out "embarrassing" and a "direct consequence" of the government’s energy policies, while John Foreman at Chatham House warned the decision would "do little for UK consumers" and would let down Ukraine.