Razom We Stand is releasing a detailed briefing paper titled “UK’s Strategic Leverage Against the Kremlin: Sanctioning Russian LNG Fleets and Novatek’s Projects.” Our new paper outlines the critical role the UK government can play in disrupting Russian LNG gas exports, the most significant revenue stream for the Kremlin, providing crucial funding to its war chest. The briefing emphasizes how targeted sanctions on Russian LNG carriers and Novatek’s projects, particularly Arctic LNG 2, can stifle Russia’s expansion in this sector and cut off its agressive geopolitical ambitions.

The briefing proposes several high-level recommendations for the UK government:

• Ban provision of P&I insurance and maritime services by UK firms to LNG tankers licensed by Russia for navigation through the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic. 
• Expand targeted sanctions by the UK against the ship management companies and registered owners of the sanctions-violating shadow LNG fleet. 
• Enforce sanctions against Arctic LNG 2 across the whole value chain of services that Novatek is trying to get to keep the project developing. 
• Ask the UK government to coordinate other sanctions with the US and lead the G-7 and EU on collective measures against Russia’s ability to build and employ a shadow LNG fleet and to continue trade from other not-yet fully sanctioned projects like Yamal LNG. 

By aligning sanctions with international partners, the UK can prevent Russia from leveraging its Arctic LNG resources to finance its war efforts in Ukraine and circumvent existing sanctions. Our research and recommendations also highlight the importance of halting Russia’s environmental exploitation of the Arctic region and addressing the strategic risks posed by the continued expansion of Russia’s fossil gas exports.