Sir Keir Starmer has sparked fury within his own government after ministers were blindsided by an announcement to delay sanctions on Russian imports of oil and gas.
The Government was accused of “quietly issuing” trade licences to allow the imports of sanctioned Russian oil refined in third countries and liquified natural gas from two Russian terminals as part of its response to the global energy crisis.
Ukrainian politicians said the decision to water down the sanctions is “terrible news for Ukraine” and could prompt a “domino effect” of other countries following suit.
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Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant apologised to MPs for the handling of the announcement, which he admitted was “clumsy” and insisted he wanted the trade licences to be “as temporary as possible”.
