Britain has become the first major power to directly sanction tankers transporting Russian liquefied natural gas, unveiling a sweeping new package of measures as G7 leaders gathered in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the restrictions during a special session on Ukraine, framing them as a concerted effort to “bring Russia’s war machine to a halt” by severing critical revenue streams. The move marks a significant escalation in the economic campaign against Moscow, extending sanctions beyond crude oil to the fast-growing LNG sector that has helped the Kremlin finance more than four years of war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the summit in person, pressing allies for an “energy package” and additional air defence systems, including Patriot missiles, to counter relentless Russian strikes. In a parallel announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed Ottawa’s own fresh sanctions targeting 162 individuals, entities and vessels linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex, and signalled deeper bilateral cooperation on drone production with Kyiv. The coordinated push from both sides of the Atlantic underscored a shared assessment that economic pressure must intensify to force a strategic shift in Moscow, even as Western capitals acknowledge the resilience of the Russian war economy.

London’s new package blacklists 27 vessels, including the LNG carriers Luch and Cosmos and the oil tanker Mercury, barring them from British ports and prohibiting the provision of technical, financial or crewing services. The government also moved to cancel the UK ship registry of the two gas carriers and targeted financial networks that facilitate sanctions evasion and the procurement of Western technology for Russia’s defence sector. With these additions, the total number of Russian-linked vessels under British sanctions now exceeds 600, a figure that officials in London say reflects a deliberate strategy to strangle the logistical arteries of the Kremlin’s energy trade.

Viewed from Moscow, the targeting of LNG tankers represents a new frontier in the sanctions war, potentially disrupting shipments to Asian markets that have partially offset lost European gas revenues. Analysts in London note that the UK’s first-mover status on LNG sanctions may pressure other G7 members to follow suit, particularly as the bloc seeks to close loopholes in the price cap on Russian oil. Yet the effectiveness of such measures hinges on enforcement beyond Western jurisdictions. As the Evian summit continues, the allies’ focus on energy logistics and military supply chains signals a long-term strategy of economic attrition, even as Zelenskyy’s urgent calls for air defence systems remind the gathering that the battlefield timeline remains brutally short.