£19.3bn of fossil fuels imported by UK from authoritarian states in year since Ukraine war

£19.3bn of fossil fuels imported by UK from authoritarian states in year since Ukraine war

UK fossil fuel imports from authoritarian petrostates surged to £19.3bn in the year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it can be revealed.

Efforts to end the purchasing of oil and gas from Russia appear to have resulted in a surge in imports from other authoritarian regimes, including Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to data from the Office for National Statistics analysed by DeSmog.

Last month the trade and business secretary, Kemi Badenoch, travelled to the Middle East to “boost trade ties” with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a six-country trade bloc comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Trade between the UK and the GCC hit a record high of £61.3bn in 2022.