US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) listens to a speech by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (right) during the 4th Crimea Platform Leaders Summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 11, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
The British government on Wednesday announced sanctions on a “shadow fleet” of ten Russian oil tankers it alleges were circumventing Western oil sanctions.
The announcement came by chance UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to Kiev and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a visit to the UK and continental Europe. The announcement comes shortly after the UK, France and Germany on Tuesday announced sanctions against Iran for supplying missiles to Russia.
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The European Union (EU) and the Group of Seven (G-7) countries, including the UK, are among the countries that have participated in US-led sanctions on Russian oil, with petroleum being a key source of funding for Russia’s war with Ukraine. The G-7 set a price ceiling of $60 a barrel for Russian oil in December 2022.
Wednesday’s restrictions bring the total number of ships on Britain’s restricted list to 25. The tankers will not be allowed to dock at UK ports.
“Putin’s war machine is funded by a dark and illicit economic system that this government is committed to destabilizing,” Mr. Lamy said.
Three ships included in the new sanctions list, Nikolay Zuyev, NS Asia And Zaliv AnivaSo far the two countries together have transported more than $5 billion worth of Russian oil Russia invades Ukraine In February 2022, the UK government said.
“Russia has been forced to spend more than $8 billion to assemble this shadow fleet. But with contraband tankers adrift and unable to load oil, we are determined to make Putin’s investment a costly mistake for the Kremlin,” Mr Lamy said.
India is one of those countries Top buyers of oil from RussiaA move that New Delhi has defended on grounds of national interest and market dynamics. The issue was discussed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during Mr Modi’s visit to Kyiv in August, when the Ukrainian president India urged to stop buying from Moscow,
Published – September 11, 2024 09:05 PM IST