London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Nov 17, 2025

Ukraine war: PM calls for 'step-by-step' move from Russian fuel

Ukraine war: PM calls for 'step-by-step' move from Russian fuel

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a "step-by-step" move away from dependence on Russian oil and gas as a result of the Ukraine war.

After talks with the Canadian and Dutch PMs, Mr Johnson said nations have to work together to secure alternatives.

Canada's PM Justin Trudeau said Europe did not want to repeat its mistake of being too dependent on Russia.

But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned forcing a boycott now would have "enormous consequences".

And in Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz cautioned against banning Russian oil and gas.

In a statement, he said Europe had "deliberately exempted" Russian energy from sanctions because its supply cannot be secured "any other way" at the moment.

Mr Johnson's call came at a Downing Street news conference after he, Mr Trudeau, and Mr Rutte discussed new sanctions against Russia and aid for Ukraine.

Asked about claims that the US was in active discussions with European nations about banning imports of Russian oil, Mr Johnson said Western allies are "moving very, very fast" - and things which weeks ago would not have been considered are "now very much on the table".

He said he would set out a new energy supply strategy in the coming days, saying the UK was looking at using more of its own fossil fuels.

But he said the UK was not abandoning its commitment to cut carbon emissions.

The UK gets less than 5% of its gas from Russia - but for EU countries the figure is about 40%.

Mr Rutte told the news conference the change would have to be "diligent and not overnight", combined with a faster uptake of renewable energy.

An immediate change would "basically undermine supply chains the world over, particularly in Europe," he said, adding: "It would also have an impact on Ukraine itself."

Mr Johnson also announced a further £175m of UK support for Ukraine and Mr Trudeau said Canada would sanction 10 more Russian oligarchs and officials.

Later the prime minister joined a call with Mr Scholz, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, where they said they were determined to continue raising the cost on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said previously unthinkable options for Western leaders were now "very much on the table"


Western nations are facing calls to do more as Russia continues its bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

The UK has also been criticised after it emerged that only about 50 refugees have been granted visas to enter the country as of Sunday.

During a visit to an RAF station with his fellow leaders, Mr Johnson said the UK was "processing thousands" and would be "very generous" to refugees, but would not let people in without any checks.

The government has so far announced two main schemes for people fleeing Ukraine to come to the UK - one which allows family members of people settled in the UK to join them and the other which allows organisations to sponsor a Ukrainian's entry.

Home Office sources have said they are in the early stages of exploring a scheme to provide humanitarian access to people fleeing the conflict.


But a senior government source told the BBC the focus was still on the two schemes for Ukrainian refugees that have already been announced, and the need for further action was being kept under review.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Home Office was in a "complete mess" and the government must establish a "simple route to sanctuary", while Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the UK was "not doing anywhere near enough" to help refugees.

More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the invasion began, according to the UN refugee agency.

Meanwhile, MPs are expected to vote later on the Economic Crime Bill, which aims to make it easier to sanction individuals.

In recent days, the government has announced asset freezes and travel bans on a number of oligarchs - but has faced accusations of being too slow to sanction those with links to President Putin.

The bill will set up a new register that will mean foreign owners of UK property must declare and verify their identities with Companies House.

MPs are expected to vote through all stages of the bill in a single sitting.

Labour said it would support the legislation, but wanted the proposed timeframe for property owners to register to be cut from six months to 28 days.


Boris Johnson says no European country had done more than the UK to settle vulnerable people since 2015

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the Home Office is in a "complete mess" over how Ukrainians can get to the UK


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
Reform UK Withdraws from BBC Documentary Amid Legal Storm Over Trump Speech Edit
UK Prime Minister Attempts to Reassert Authority Amid Internal Labour Leadership Drama
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
×