UK sets January 2027 deadline to ban diesel and jet fuel made from Russian crude
The UK government will fully ban imports of diesel and jet fuel produced from Russian crude oil from 1 January 2027, setting an end date for a trade that has continued through third countries despite existing sanctions on direct imports.
The measure builds on restrictions introduced on 20 May that targeted refined fuels made from Russian crude abroad. To avoid disrupting supply, the government has granted a temporary import licence that will be reviewed every two weeks and could be revoked before the deadline. Trade minister Chris Bryant said the end date was “a clear signal that we continue to ratchet up maximum pressure on Russia.”
The point of the rule is the loophole it closes: sanctions on Russian crude lose force if that crude is simply refined in a third country and re-exported as diesel or jet fuel. Setting a firm cutoff narrows that pathway, though the phased timeline and renewable licence mean the practical squeeze on Russian revenue arrives gradually rather than at once.