Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeking clarification from No 10 about sanctions package for Russia, his office says
Luke Harding
Luke Harding is a senior Guardian international correspondent.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office says it is seeking clarification from Downing Street on the UK’s decision to lift sanctions on some Russian oil, amid accusations from the Conservatives that Keir Starmer is helping the Kremlin make money.
Ukraine’s president has not yet commented on the decision to issue a new licence for imports of diesel and jet fuel made from sanctioned Russian oil. The UK has also permitted the maritime transport of Russian liquefied natural gas.
Zelenskyy has previously urged Western partners to maintain a tough sanctions regime against Russian oil exports, pointing out that Moscow uses cash from hydrocarbon sales to fund its war against Ukraine.
In recent months Kyiv has intensified long-range strikes against Russia’s oil infrastructure, hitting ports on the Baltic and Black Sea, as well as targets in the Urals, more than 1500kms from the frontline. Zelenskyy has dubbed these remote attacks “long-range sanctions”.
“There is currently very active communication between our diplomats and the Office [of the President] and the British side to clarify the details,” an aide to Zelenskyy said today.
Key events
PMQs – snap verdict
Kemi Badenoch is now by far the most popular shadow cabinet minister with Conservative party members. That is not because her party is making great gains in elections, or in the polls. It is because she is confident, pugnacious and assertive in the Commons, especially at PMQs
Today was a good example. Badenoch always goes for the maximalist position when attacking Labour, and today she focused on the announcement about the new sanctions package for Russia. She claimed that Ukraine was being betrayed, that Starmer was approving sales that would help to fund the Russian war effort and – in her final question – she ended with a flourish (referencing the supermarket policy) that “it’s like the Soviets won”. Tory members will love it.
Confident, pugnacious and assertive? Sure. But persuasive and effective? Not so much. On the substance, on the narrow point about the rights and wrongs of the sanctions package, Keir Starmer was far more convincing. He made a strong argument about why it was wrong to present this as the watering down of sanctions that are already in place. (See 12.08am.) Assuming that he is right, many of the objections to the policy should fall away.
But Starmer should never have been on the defensive on this story in the first place. If it is the case that claims that sanctions were being relaxed were not accurate, the government should have been forcefully making that case (as Chris Bryant, the trade minister, is doing in response to an urgent question now) as soon as this story first emerged overnight. Dan Tomlinson, a Treasury minister, was doing a broadcast round this morning and he did not challenge the framing of the story in the way that Starmer did at PMQs, and Bryant is doing now. A government running an effective news operation should not need 12 hours to kill a negative story.
Karl Turner, the former Labour MP who is currently suspended, tells Starmer that people in No 10 questioned his mental health when he started opposing the government’s plans to limit jury trials.
Starmer says nobody should be smeared on mental health grounds.
Sarah Olney (Lib Dem) asks the PM to congratulate all 54 Lib Dem councillors who won all 54 seats on Richmond council. But does he agree that it would be better to replace the first past the post system that produced this with a fairer PR system.
Starmer says he does not agree with the case for PR.
Esther McVey (Con) asks if Starmer agrees with what Andy Burnham said about wanting to rejoin the EU, or what he said about not wanting to rejoin the EU.
Starmer says he agrees with what was in Labour’s manifesto.
Uma Kumaran (Lab) asks about stroke prevention. What is the goverment doing to improve care for stroke victims? She says her husband had a stroke.
Stamer says he knows Kumaran’s husband, and thanks her for raising this. Ambulance response times are improving, he says.
Calum Miller (Lib Dem) asks about a polluted river in his constituency. He asks for a meeting with the Environment Agency.
Starmer says he will arrange a meeting.
Janet Daby (Lab) says more needs to be done to tackle flytipping.
Starmer says the government is cracking down on “disgraceful waste criminals”.
Hannah Spencer, the recently-elected Green MP for Gorton and Denton, says that as a new MP she was shocked to find that MPs are allowed to drink while they are at work. Does the PM agree that should not be allowed?
Starmer congratulates her on her election, since it is her first question at PMQs.
He says there are different views on whether MPs should be allowed to enjoy a drink in the Commons.
He goes on:
I know the Greens think that their leader walks on water. It turns out that he just lives on water and doesn’t pay his council tax.
Starmer says he has been told that he earlier wrongly referred to a trade deal with North Korea. He meant South Korea, he says. He says a deal with North Korea would have been news.
Dave Doogan says this is his first question as new SNP leader at Westminster. He asks if Starmer agrees with Andy Burnham about not wanting to join the EU, or with Wes Streeting, Peter Mandelson’s friend, about wanting to join.
Starmer congratulates Doogan on his new job, and sarcastically welcomes his “calm, reasonable” approach.
He says he favours a closer relationship with Europe.
Lloyd Hatton (Lab) says that if he had taken a £5m gift from a billionaire, his constituents would be wanting him to resign.
Starmer says Nigel Farage is not in the Commons today to defend the donation.
He says Farage needs to explain why he kept that donation secret.
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, asked Starmer to rule out further aid cuts.
Starmer said the government was committed to overseas aid.
Davey said he could not tell from that if Starmer was ruling out further cuts or not.
He asked if Starmer was relieved about agreeing with Andy Burnham about not joining the single market or the customs union during this parliament.
Starmer said, if he followed Davey’s policy, he would not be able to have the trade deal with the US that has saved jobs in the UK.
Badenoch says she was talking about Starmer blocking new licences.
She goes on:
[Starmer is] importing sanctioned Russian oil. He’s nationalising steel. He is imposing price controls in the supermarket. It’s like the Soviets won.
Starmer says Badenoch has missed what is happening.
She may have overlooked the fact that last week [it was announced] we’ve got the fastest growing economy in the G7.
Last week we had the biggest fall in NHS waiting list for 17 years.
Today, inflation has come down more than expected.
And if you’d offered me that and Arsenal becoming Premier League champions, I’d take it every day of the week.
Badenoch says she’s not playing politics.
It’s not playing politics. It’s speaking up for the people who are out there.
The fact is, more people are buying Russian oil because British oil isn’t being drilled.
He’s sanctioning British oil, but not Russian oil. And he should be ashamed.
Starmer says Badenoch said there was no drilling in the North Sea. She will have to refer herself to the privileges committeee, he says.
There is drilling. It’s 24/7 and oil and gas are coming out. And that will be important for many, many years to come. We are we are supporting those existing oil and gas fields throughout their lifespan.
