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MAY 21, 2026 2:53 PM CET
BY CHARLIE COOPER AND GREGORIO SORGIBRUSSELS — The EU’s economy chief criticized the U.K.’s decision to loosen planned sanctions on Russian-origin jet fuel and diesel without giving prior notice to fellow G7 allies.

The U.K. issued a sanctions licence on Tuesday exempting jet fuel and diesel from a new import ban on oil products made from Russian crude but refined in India or other third countries, a decision which “came as a surprise,” according to Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

During a press conference on Thursday, the Latvian economist took aim at the U.K. for failing to raise its plans during the meeting of G7 finance ministers, which took place in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, and where U.K. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in attendance.

“It was not flagged during our G7 finance ministerial meeting earlier this week, so came as a surprise,” Dombrovskis said.

“What we were discussing in G7 [is] actually that now is not the time to roll back sanctions against Russia because Russia is actually the country that is benefiting from the war in Iran and having substantial windfall profits due to the higher energy prices,” he added.

“It is important to sustain and, if anything, strengthen sanctions against Russia in [the] current situation and that’s the point we’ll continue to insist on with our international partners including the U.K.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the move on Wednesday, telling MPs that the U.K. had issued “two targeted short-term licenses to phase the new sanctions in and protect U.K. consumers.”

The move was “partly” prompted by the need to protect British businesses from “instability” in energy markets sparked by the Middle East conflict, Trade Minister Chris Bryant told MPs on Wednesday.

According to figures from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the two fuels represent 99 percent of U.K. imports from refineries processing Russian crude, meaning their exemption effectively neuters the new sanction policy, which was announced in October last year. The EU implemented a similar ban in January.

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What this means for Ukraine

For Ukraine itself, the UN report is not just an analytical document, but yet another demographic diagnosis. We can talk as much as we want about the return of refugees and territories, about support programs, about forced deportations (which won’t happen anyway—these are just the dreams of a few people in Ukraine), about some kind of patriotic duty, and so on. But the reality is this: a significant portion of those who left will never return, and this is a matter of basic human logic.

The authors of the report directly urge European governments: prepare long-term legalization mechanisms, simplified residence permits, transitional statuses, etc. Do not let the situation reach a “cliff edge” in March 2027. Otherwise, everyone will suffer—both Ukrainians, who will lose their homes, and Europeans, who will face significant social tension.

The UN does not offer ready-made solutions, but it sends a clear signal: the time for hopes and mantras about “mandatory return” is long past. Europe is not pushing Ukrainians out, despite isolated statements—and Ukrainians, for their part, are in no hurry to go home. And this holds true under any scenario.

The people who have left are predominantly young women of childbearing age, children, teenagers, and young able-bodied men. That is, the demographic core of the nation—literally its most active and enterprising members. Entire generations that were supposed to rebuild the country after the war have already been lost.

And the most interesting thing is that this loss cannot be fought—it can only be acknowledged. Acknowledge it and try, by any diplomatic means, to end the war as quickly as possible so that at least someone returns here. Because otherwise, even after many more years of bloodshed, no one will return.
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In early May, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published a document addressing a topic of great importance and sensitivity for both Ukraine and Europe. It is titled “Transition from Temporary Protection: Projected Stay, Legal Pathways, and Policy Options for Refugees from Ukraine.” As the title suggests, it focuses on Ukrainian refugees who fled to the EU due to Russian aggression.

Behind the report’s official academic language lies a harsh and deeply troubling conclusion for the state: even if the war were to end tomorrow, millions of Ukrainians will never return home. And no one knows what to do about it—except perhaps to accept it as a given.

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