Earlier this week, the US extended a similar waiver, first introduced in March, which loosened sanctions preventing other countries buying Russian oil and petroleum already loaded on vessels at sea.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in March the “short-term measure” was aimed at promoting “stability in global energy markets”.
The policy has been criticised by many US and UK allies who say it helps the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2022.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the Strait of Hormuz’s shutdown “in no way” justified lifting the sanctions on Russia while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said “every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war”.
However, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper refrained from criticising the US decision in March, describing it as a “specific, targeted issue”.
A UK government spokesperson said on Tuesday it had “introduced a range of new prohibitions under the Russia sanctions regime”.
“This includes further export and import bans against Russia, including restrictions on the sale of refined oil products derived from Russian crude oil and the import, supply and delivery to third countries of Russian uranium,” they added.
“These sanctions also include a maritime services ban on Russian LNG. This will gradually restrict Russia’s access to the UK’s world-leading shipping and insurance services, disrupting their ability to transport Russian LNG.
“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.”