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

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.

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.

The Washington Post

Tags: U.K., vessels, ports, sanctions, Britain, Russia