Labour accused of easing Russian sanctions on the sly

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A few hours after announcing what seemed to be a softening of UK sanctions on Russian oil, Keir Starmer’s government insisted it had done no such thing and merely handled the announcement “clumsily”. Really? The truth is a package of sanctions announced last October is finally being enforced – but with a three-month delay (at least) for a ban on diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil and imported via Turkey and India. The delay is because of worries about rising UK prices. Ukraine’s sanctions minister said he understood the thinking but it would still mean more money for Russia’s war machine. Kemi Badenoch, for the Tories, called it insane. The third-country loophole has been a multibillion-pound earner for Russia since 2022. Airlines insist that even if it’s closed, there is no danger of a jet fuel shortage.