Earlier energy minister Michael Shanks told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is an absolutely critical moment in the Russian aggression against Ukraine and sanctions are important.
“What we absolutely can’t have is Putin sitting in the Kremlin thinking this is an opportunity to invest more in the war machine.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “wrong to lift sanctions on Russian oil” but called on the government to start drilling in the North Sea to increase global oil supply.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticised the President Trump for “helping Russia when he should be fighting them with Ukraine and Europe”.
He described it as “alarming” that President Putin appeared to be the “main beneficiary” of the US war with Iran.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said easing sanctions now is “wrong”, while French President Emmanuel Macron said the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz “in no way” justified the move.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to comment on the US decision, but said on Tuesday that easing sanctions would be a “serious blow” for Ukraine and a “concession” to Russia that would allow it to buy more weapons.