The U.K. government has delayed some new sanctions on Russian oil, issuing a trade license now in force that opens the door to jet fuel and diesel derived from Russian crude, provided the refining takes place in intermediary countries like India or Turkey, according to The Associated Press.
The move, which took effect earlier this week, is intended to shield British consumers from rising energy costs linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran. Fuel costs have climbed sharply worldwide since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, with Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply — also stoking fears of a jet fuel shortfall, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer framed the license as part of a phased rollout of a broader sanctions package announced in October, not a reversal of existing measures. "So, these are new sanctions being phased in. This is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever," Starmer told the House of Commons, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to the AP, the government set no expiration date on the licenses, though officials said they plan to revisit them on a periodic basis.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of "choosing to buy dirty Russian oil." Emily Thornberry, the lawmaker who leads Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, argued the decision would leave Ukrainians feeling betrayed, and called on allied nations to maintain their squeeze on Russian energy revenues, which she described as "absolutely crippling their economy," according to the Los Angeles Times.
The U.K. is not alone in adjusting its posture. According to the AP, a separate 30-day waiver covering Russian oil cargoes already in transit was renewed this week by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Despite the adjustments, a joint statement released Tuesday by finance ministers across the Group of Seven nations declared "our unwavering commitment to continue to impose severe costs on Russia in response to its continued aggression against Ukraine," according to the Los Angeles Times.