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Britain on Thursday became the first country to sanction all ten of Russia’s major oil producers, announcing a package of measures aimed at cutting the revenue that funds Moscow’s war in Ukraine as European leaders met in Dublin.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government was unveiling “a sweep of stinging new sanctions to turn the screws on Russia’s oil revenues and drive forward an end to the Kremlin’s needless war.” The announcement coincided with the European Political Community summit, which Burnham reached after attending the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye.
The new measures target shadow fleet vessels involved in transporting Russian oil and liquefied natural gas, as well as major coal companies. They also hit LLC Vostok Oil, the flagship Arctic oil and gas project of state-controlled Rosneft. Britain also sanctioned Slavneft, which completes its listing of Russia’s top ten oil producers.
Downing Street said the steps mean the UK is now targeting nearly every link in the energy revenue chain across the oil and gas sectors, from producers and trading networks to supply chains and vessels. The stated aim is to further limit Russia’s ability to raise money to finance what the government called an “illegal war.”
“Shadow fleet” is the term commonly used for the ageing tankers that carry Russian energy exports outside the reach of Western shipping and insurance restrictions. Britain and its allies have increasingly targeted those vessels in recent years.
The summit comes after peace talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. Burnham was expected to co-chair a small-group meeting on Ukraine on Thursday afternoon with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where leaders would discuss how to build on those talks to secure what the government described as a just and lasting peace.
According to Downing Street, Burnham planned to press for “robust and legally binding security guarantees” for Ukraine as a fundamental part of any peace process. He was also expected to stress the need to continue negotiations with European delegations and to back Zelenskyy’s calls for a full and immediate ceasefire.
Burnham said that while peace talks had progressed, “now is not the time for complacency.” He argued that Europe should play its full part in negotiations while keeping up pressure on Russia, so that the talks are meaningful and reinforce European security.
He was due to urge leaders from around 50 countries attending the gathering to keep adding pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to approach negotiations seriously.
The European Political Community, launched in 2022, brings together leaders from across the continent, including countries outside the European Union. Downing Street said Burnham also intends to use the summit to advance Britain’s ambition for a new relationship with the EU.
Alongside the sanctions, the government highlighted defense-industrial ties with Kyiv under the 100-Year UK-Ukraine partnership. Ukrainian drone company UForce announced that it will create hundreds of highly skilled jobs and 60 apprenticeships in the UK as it sets up new factories.
The announcement was made aboard HMS Prince of Wales on Thursday morning. Downing Street said more than 70% of the content of each UK-built drone boat will come from British suppliers, which it described as a symbol of the strength of the defense industry relationship between the two countries.
Burnham was also expected to co-chair a defense and security roundtable with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Leaders were expected to discuss Europe’s response to an increasingly difficult threat picture, particularly in the hybrid space, and to seek a more coordinated approach.
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