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Britain to block Russian ships from entering U.K. ports, sanctions more banks

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps departs 10 Downing Street in London after attending a meeting Feb. 28. (Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images)
3 min

LONDON — Britain on Monday unveiled a new package of sanctions against Russia that included a move to ban Russian vessels from accessing U.K. ports, even as some were en route, and asset freezes against new banks.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that he has written to all U.K. ports and asked them “not to provide access” to any Russian ship.

“Given Putin's action in Ukraine I've made clear these vessels are NOT welcome here with prohibiting legislation to follow,” he said.

The move follows an announcement last week by Shapps that Britain was banning Russian private jets from its airspace. Critics, however, said that loopholes meant that jets registered elsewhere and operated by intermediary companies were exempt from the rules.

Western business flight from Russia continues with Shell, GM and others ending or suspending dealings

This latest announcement doesn't appear to allow for those loopholes.

Shapps urged British ports to deny access to boats believed to be registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated by “any person connected with Russia.”

Shapps’s letter comes as a Russian-owned vessel was due to dock in Orkney, Scotland, on Tuesday. It was unclear if the tanker, NS Champion, would dock as planned. It belongs to shipping company Sovcomflot, which is majority-owned by the Russian state.

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, responded to the announcement, tweeting: “This is good. I had a constructive conversation with Grant Shapps y’day evening in light of the planned docking of a Russian vessel in Orkney, and I welcome this step while legislation for longer term takes effect.”

Britain’s maritime sector, Shapps said, “is fundamental to international trade and we must play our part in restricting Russia’s economic interests and holding the Russian government to account.

“In these circumstances, the Department for Transport does not consider it appropriate for Russian vessels to enter UK ports,” he said.

He said that officials will help support U.K. ports in identifying Russian ships and will give them advanced notice when they are coming into port.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also announced new sanctions on Monday, including a full asset freeze on three more Russian banks.

She also took aim at the Russian oligarchs who have set up shop in London — or Londongrad, as it is sometimes called — as a good place to launder money with its lack of regulations and oversight.

Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new measures — including a “kleptocracy cell” at a law enforcement agency. Analysts are skeptical whether such measures will have much impact against oligarchs who have deep pockets.

Londongrad: Is U.K. finally cracking down on dodgy Russian money?

But Truss said the government would “continue working through our hitlist of oligarchs, focusing on their houses, their yachts and every aspect of their lives.”

She told Parliament that Britain was “prepared to suffer economic sacrifices” to support Ukraine and would keep sanctions in place for “however long it takes.”

Truss was singled out earlier in the day by the Kremlin, which linked Russia’s decision to place its nuclear forces on high alert to Truss’s comments over the weekend about supporting the right of British citizens to go to Ukraine to fight.

Downing Street distanced itself from Truss’s comments, saying that Britons who wanted to help could consider a financial donation instead.

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