Britain will allow imports of diesel and jet fuel refined abroad from Russian crude under a sanctions carve-out, watering down restrictions to help ensure supply at home as prices soar due to the conflict in the Middle East.
A trade license that came into effect on Wednesday permits the import of Russian oil that has been refined into jet fuel and diesel in third countries such as India and Türkiye, opening up more supplies for Britain.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil usually passes, has sent fuel prices soaring around the world and sparked concerns about a shortage of jet fuel.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused the British government of "choosing to buy dirty Russian oil."
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government is phasing in a package of sanctions announced in October and has issued a "targeted short-term" license for the refined products to protect British consumers in a volatile situation.
