{"id":87742,"date":"2026-05-20T09:02:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/uk-quietly-eases-russian-oil-sanctions-as-expert-warns-kremlin-will-see-weakness\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T09:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:02:16","slug":"uk-quietly-eases-russian-oil-sanctions-as-expert-warns-kremlin-will-see-weakness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/sq\/uk-quietly-eases-russian-oil-sanctions-as-expert-warns-kremlin-will-see-weakness\/","title":{"rendered":"UK quietly eases Russian oil sanctions as expert warns Kremlin will see &#8216;weakness&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The United Kingdom on May 19 quietly issued a new license for imports of diesel and jet fuel made from sanctioned Russian oil, as well as a separate license for the maritime transport of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). <\/p>\n<p>The move comes a day after the United States once again <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-source-denies-reports-of-new-russian-oil-sanctions-waiver\/\">extended its own sanctions waiver<\/a> on Russian oil, in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing fuel costs amid the U.S.-Israeli war against <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/iran\/\">Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/general-trade-licence-for-sanctioned-processed-oil-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">license<\/a> permits imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil if &#8220;the products have been processed in a third country,&#8221; according to the U.K. government web portal. These products are exempted from the U.K.&#8217;s general ban on <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/russian-oil-industry\/\">Russian oil<\/a> products processed in other countries. <\/p>\n<p>The license takes effect on May 20 and is indefinite, but it can be revoked or suspended at any time. <\/p>\n<p>Separately on May 19, the U.K. issued a general <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6a0c6285c75cc34a8ff8f52e\/general_trade_licence_maritime_transportation_of_LNG_.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">license<\/a> covering the maritime transport of Russian <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/lng\/\">LNG<\/a>. It allows the transport and delivery of LNG by ship from Russia&#8217;s Sakhalin-2 or <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/european-lng-imports-from-key-russian-terminal-rise-8-year-over-year-imports-reached-nearly-1-7-tons-in-january-watchdog-finds\/\">Yamal<\/a> LNG terminals. <\/p>\n<p>That license expires on Jan. 1, 2027. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are committed to strengthening our sanctions on Russia to degrade its ability to wage war in Ukraine, whilst protecting critical supply chains and maintaining market stability,&#8221; a spokesperson for the U.K. government <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/faisalislam\/status\/2056844099081113691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">told<\/a> the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>John Foreman CBE, an associate fellow at Chatham House and former U.K. defense attache to both Kyiv and Moscow, called the move &#8220;cynical but understandable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it is hard to pose as the leader of the &#8216;coalition of the willing&#8217; when doing dirty deals,&#8221; Foreman told the Kyiv Independent. &#8220;(U.K. Prime Minister Keir) Starmer has always maintained a very high moral tone, which this undercuts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Kirk, a sanctions campaigner at the NGO Urgewald, said the move sends the wrong signal to Moscow, noting that Russian <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/propaganda\/\">state media<\/a> is already portraying it as proof that Western resolve weakens when fuel prices rise.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Celebrations will be happening in the Kremlin today&#8230; The danger here is not just the economic signal, but the political message it sends,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Moscow will read this as weakness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The U.K. has been one of Ukraine&#8217;s leading partners since the start of Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion in 2022. Alongside France&#8217;s Emmanuel Macron, Starmer has positioned himself as the leader of the <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/coalition-of-the-willing\/\">coalition of the willing<\/a> \u2014\u00a0a group formed in 2025 to establish long-term security guarantees for Kyiv. <\/p>\n<p>London&#8217;s Russian oil waivers also come on the same day that the Group of Seven (G7) published a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/media\/z11e0blz\/680_-_cp_-_g7_finance_ministers_and_central_bank_governors_communique_may_19_2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">statement<\/a> reaffirming its commitment to put pressure on Russia, including sanctions on the energy sector and &#8220;actions against entities in third countries that materially support Russia&#8217;s war effort.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>The licenses reflect a deepening global energy crisis, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz putting supply lines in a chokehold. Jet fuel prices have risen, leading to higher airfare costs and other disruptions to air travel.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, the U.S. \u2014\u00a0a G7 member, like the U.K. \u2014 issued its own <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trump-hands-putin-jackpot-as-us-eases-russian-oil-sanctions-amid-price-surge\/\">sanctions waiver<\/a> on Russian oil, allowing the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea. Washington has twice <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-source-denies-reports-of-new-russian-oil-sanctions-waiver\/\">renewed the license<\/a> despite previously pledging not to do so. <\/p>\n<p>Senate Democrats previously <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-lawmakers-say-trump-is-letting-putin-play-him-for-a-fool\/\">said<\/a> the initial waiver, combined with elevated oil prices during the Iran war, provided Russia with roughly $150 million per day \u2014 more than $4 billion by the time the first exemption expired, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/moscow-walks-away-with-billions-as-trumps-russian-oil-waiver-expires\/\">estimates<\/a> shared with the Kyiv Independent.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up its own <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/why-ukraine-keeps-striking-tuapse-and-russia-struggles-to-stop-it\/\">&#8220;long-range sanctions&#8221; campaign<\/a> against Russian energy assets, which provide fuel and funds for Moscow&#8217;s war chest. Ukrainian forces on May 18-19 <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/explosions-rock-russias-yaroslavl-as-ukraine-reportedly-targets-oil-infrastructure-in-drone-strike\/\">struck a Lukoil refinery<\/a> \u2014\u00a0one of the largest in Russia \u2014\u00a0and an oil pumping station in their latest attack on Russian oil infrastructure. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/uk-quietly-issues-sanctions-waivers-on-russian-oil-products\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United Kingdom on May 19 quietly issued a new license for imports of diesel and jet fuel made from<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aktualitet"],"aioseo_notices":[],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-300x200.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-768x512.jpg","large":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-1024x682.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-18x12.jpg","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-392x272.jpg","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-390x205.jpg","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-130x90.jpg","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-800x445.jpg","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-150x150.jpg","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-1240x600.jpg","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-1155x480.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-600x417.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-285x450.jpg","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-575x198.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"Ioni","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4de7d1024908d847fc21ef50fe01465508cd6bac2b59b1c21485c2342bf8bf44?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The United Kingdom on May 19 quietly issued a new license for imports of diesel and jet fuel made from","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Aktualitet"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":7,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG.jpg",1240,826,false],"medium":["https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LNG-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"Ioni","author_link":"https:\/\/bisedoshqip.de\/sq\/author\/drilon_admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4de7d1024908d847fc21ef50fe01465508cd6bac2b59b1c21485c2342bf8bf44?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link 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