Britain Ready to Ban Russian Oil Shipping Services Without US Support

Moscow (ANTARA) - Britain is prepared to join the European Union in imposing a ban on Russian oil shipping services via maritime routes without United States support, according to British Trade Minister Chris Bryant.

“That is correct. That is right,” Bryant stated in a meeting when asked whether Britain and the European Union were ready to implement such a ban without US backing, as reported by RIA Novosti on Friday (27 February).

Additionally, Esther Blythe, Deputy Director of Sanctions for Russia and Belarus at the British Foreign Office, stated that Britain would support a comprehensive ban on maritime shipping services for Russian oil, according to the newspaper Politico on Thursday (26 February).

“We continue to discuss this with European counterparts,” Blythe said as quoted by the newspaper.

However, Reuters reported, citing David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s Sanctions Envoy, that the European Union is not yet ready to unilaterally implement a ban on maritime services for Russian crude oil transportation and is still seeking support from all G7 member states on this issue.