Keir Starmer insists this is not an easing of sanctions.Image: AP Pool Reuters
May 20, 2026, 3:14 p.mMay 20, 2026, 3:14 p.m
Due to energy price pressure caused by the Iran war, Great Britain is easing sanctions on Russian oil.
The British government is allowing the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries from Russian oil for an indefinite period. According to government information, the measure will be continually reviewed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in Parliament at lunchtime that the measure was part of a “strong, new sanctions package” – and therefore, in his eyes, not an easing. It is “by no means a matter of lifting existing sanctions”; the government will continue to work with its allies on further packages, said Starmer.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch voiced clear criticism. She said it was “insane” to ease the sanctions. In this context, Badenoch criticized the government for not expanding its own extraction of resources in the North Sea. She accused Starmer of preferring to “buy dirty Russian oil”.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch sharply criticizes Starmer.Image: keystone
Pressure from rising energy costs
The background is the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which is important for the transport of certain fuels, has been largely blocked for weeks. In Great Britain, a liter of petrol at petrol stations currently costs more than it has since December 2022, as the RAC automobile club announced. Several airlines have canceled flights and increased prices.
In line with the European Union, the British government has repeatedly imposed new sanctions against Russia in recent months in order to increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin. Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and there is no end to the war in sight. (nil/sda/dpa)