'Deaths funded by fossil fuel': UK imported £220m of oil from Russia since Ukraine invasion
27 April 2022, 08:19 | Updated: 27 April 2022, 10:13
Britain has imported more than £200m of Russian oil since Vladimir Putin's bloody invasion of Ukraine began, it's been claimed – sparking accusations of hypocrisy.
The Government is under fire for continuing to import "bloody oil" even as Ukrainians die under heavy Russian bombardments and targeted killing of civilians.
The UK – a key supplier of weapons to Ukraine so it can fight off the invaders - is aiming to wean itself off Moscow's energy supply by the end of the year.
But while Britain ships out NLAW anti-tank weapons and Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles to fight Putin's military, it has been importing energy from Russia.
Environmental campaigners said it needed to accelerate its halt to importing Russian energy.
Georgia Whitaker, oil and gas campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: "The UK government is no stranger to hypocrisy but pledging 'unwavering support' to Ukraine while shipping in almost two million barrels of Russian oil is utterly disingenuous, even by Boris Johnson's standards.
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"This war has cost at least 2,000 civilian lives so far. That's 2,000 innocent deaths largely funded by fossil fuels.
"Despite the mounting death toll, the UK Government has given itself until the end of the year to stop importing Russia's bloody oil.
"Sanctions don't work until they're implemented and eight more months of oil and gas imports is eight months too many.
"It's clear we need an explicit and immediate ban on all Russian fossil fuels."
Britain imported about £220m of oil since the start of the invasion in late February. By comparison, Europe was estimated to have imported between £12-18bn by the start of April, according to the New Statesmen.
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Figures released on Wednesday show 1.9 million barrels, of 257,000 tonnes, of oil arrived on tankers that Greenpeace tracked.
The tankers have continued to arrive despite the Government banning Russian-owned, operated or flagged ships arriving in the UK - but a vessel flagged to another country can arrive with Russian oil.
Most contained diesel, according to Greenpeace.
A Government spokesperson said: "We will phase out Russian oil by the end of the year, and imports of Russian liquid natural gas as soon as possible thereafter.
"The UK has no issues with either gas or oil supply, and unlike Europe we are not dependent on Russian energy imports."
Russia has announced it will stop gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria after they refused to pay in roubles, the Russian currency.
It also threatened to attack countries who supply Ukraine on Nato territory.
