The government will now "phase in" some new sanctions over the coming months due to the effective blockade of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran. The Foreign Office denied the shift in policy could be described as a "waiver" on sanctions aimed at hurting Russia's economy, but admitted extra flexibilities were required. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, sanctions commissioner for Ukraine, said he understood "the rationale behind the UK's decision", but said he disagreed with the approach. "Our concern relates specifically to temporary exemptions that may still generate additional revenues for Russia's war machine", he posted on social media. The original plan to ban oil products derived from Russian crude oil, such as jet fuel and diesel, entering the UK from third countries, was first announced as part of a raft of fresh sanctions by the government in October last year. It came after the BBC revealed in 2024 that millions of barrels of fuel made from Russian oil were still being imported to the UK through a loophole in global trade rules, despite sanctions being imposed. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) estimated that about £1.8bn worth of oil products made from Russian crude had been imported to the UK via India and Turkey since the first ban on oil was imposed in December 2022. (BBC)