Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than eighteen months ago, the West has been trying to bring Moscow to its knees with a comprehensive arsenal of sanctions. But this doesn’t really work. This is due not only to the resilience of the Russian economy, but also to loopholes that the Russians cleverly exploit. Despite embargoes, Russian oil, for example, reaches Great Britain via third countries, where it is processed into fuel. The British NGO Global Witness is now putting pressure on the government in London to close this back door.
About five percent of UK airlines’ flights are powered by Russian oil, Global Witness explained in a recent campaign. To draw attention to the fact that one in twenty British aircraft uses Russian fuel, vehicles with electronic billboards have been driving around London for some time now. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin can be seen as the leader in this. His flight attendants are Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt.
“Aircraft operated with Putin”
The billboards read “Airplanes piloted with Putin.” Below the photo is a call to all residents to call on the government to “close these loopholes”. So far, only direct imports are subject to sanctions. However, if Russian oil is further processed in a refinery in a third country, the product can very well be imported. As the Politics news site reports, this fact has led refiners in India and Turkey to buy even more Russian oil to meet demand in the West. According to Politics, the fuels imported from India or Turkey are mixtures that also contain oil from other countries.
‘Hypocritical’ government in London
Mai Rosner, project manager at Global Witness, also found clear words in the article to the British government, but also to all other governments that allow similar exceptions: ‘Every drop of Russian oil means more bloodshed in Ukraine. It is utterly hypocritical for the British government to condemn the war in Ukraine while allowing trade in Russian oil.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
