UK got Russian oil worth $276 million since Ukraine invasion began: Report

The United Kingdom imported nearly 2 million barrels of Russian oil since the start of the Ukraine invasion, as per figures released by Greenpeace, an independent global campaigning network. 

The shipments were worth $276 million, and come amid global sanctions levied on Moscow to weaken its economy as part of a pushback against troop movements in Ukraine. 

The Greenpeace statement reads, “A total of eight tankers have delivered shipments of Russian oil to the UK since Russia first invaded Ukraine on 24 February, averaging one every week”. 

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While the UK government has a ban on Russian owned or operated ships, and vessels flying the country’s flag, it is still able to receive oil from tankers operated by other nations. 

Georgia Whitaker, oil and gas campaigner at Greenpeace UK noted, “The UK government is no stranger to hypocrisy but pledging ‘unwavering support’ to Ukraine while shipping in almost 2 million barrels of Russian oil is utterly disingenuous, even by Boris Johnson’s standards”, adding, “Despite the mounting death toll, the UK government has given itself until the end of the year to stop importing Russia’s bloody oil”, CNN reported. 

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Whitaker concluded, “Sanctions don’t work until they’re implemented and eight more months of oil and gas imports is eight months too many. It’s clear we need an explicit and immediate ban on all Russian fossil fuels”. 

The UK has plans to reduce dependence on Russian energy by the end of the year, and a spokesperson has noted “We will phase out Russian oil by the end of the year, and imports of Russian liquid natural gas as soon as possible thereafter”, adding, “The UK has no issues with either gas or oil supply, and unlike Europe, we are not dependent on Russian energy imports”. 

The European Union is also trying to reduce dependence on Russian energy in an attempt to further squeeze Moscow’s economy.