UK bans Russian oil imports – POLITICO

LONDON – The UK will ban Russian oil imports to protest its invasion of Ukraine, and Washington is expected to do the same.

An announcement is expected to be made this afternoon, according to three Whitehall officials who spoke to POLITICO.

However, it seems increasingly unlikely that the EU will announce a ban due to fears of runaway inflation and retaliation from the Russians.

There will be a months-long ban to allow global markets to adjust and prevent panic buying, British officials said. Ministers will insist that the public will not need to stockpile fuel as Russian oil is a minimal part of the UK energy mix.

This announcement is essentially a political protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, there will be no ban on Russian gas, but officials insist the issue is still being discussed by the British government.