UK government will ban Russian oil by the end of 2022, Business Secretary confirms

The move is understood to be in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine

The UK government has announced plans to phase out all imports of Russian oil by the end of 2022. Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the move on Twitter, writing "this transition will give the market, businesses and supply chains more than enough time to replace Russian imports - which make up 8% of UK demand". He said "the market has already begun to ostracise Russian oil, with nearly 70% of it currently unable to find a buyer.". https://twitter.com/KwasiKwarteng/status/1501229850454937600?s=20&t=Sr3V6FGFfHzBF3oqcrHInQ The move will be in concert with the United States, who announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports shortly after the UK on Tuesday afternoon. President Biden said the US ban on Russian oil will be a "powerful blow" to "Putin's war", but warned that the price of defending freedom will hit the wallets of ordinary Americans. The ban will be phased in over the coming year, leaving the UK with just nine months to adjust to buying stocks from US and the Middle East. Earlier on Tuesday, a top Russian official warned that a Western ban on Russian oil imports could result in oil prices more than doubling and could lead to the closure of the main gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. In a statement on state television on Monday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said it was “absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market.