Allowing Russian-refined fuel imports while blocking North Sea drilling licenses is a contradiction that defies any coherent energy policy. Labour spent 18 months claiming to stand firm against Putin, then quietly issued a license doing the exact opposite. British consumers get no real relief, and the Kremlin gets a revenue stream — that's not leadership, that's a failure dressed up as pragmatism.
The government's fuel duty cut extension and the energy price cap drop show a real commitment to easing cost-of-living pressures on British families. The Russian oil import rules include strict licensing, supply chain documentation requirements and criminal penalties for violations — this isn't a loophole, it's a tightly regulated framework. Protecting consumers while maintaining sanctions integrity is exactly what responsible governance looks like.
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