Letter - July 2025

[your address]

Dear [name of your MP]

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent regarding the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – a conflict that, after more than three and a half years of full-scale invasion, continues to bring untold suffering and destruction to the Ukrainian people.

Despite existing sanctions, Russia’s economy continues to function well enough to fund its military operations. This war persists largely because the Kremlin still has access to massive revenues – much of it from oil and gas exports. While Western leaders have taken meaningful steps since 2022, the unfortunate reality is that these measures have not gone far enough. Russia has adapted. And we, the democratic world, are being outpaced by Moscow’s ability to reroute, disguise, and profit from its energy exports – particularly through what has become known as the “shadow fleet.”

Up to 60% of Russia’s oil exports pass through the Danish Straits – a chokepoint that remains shockingly unmonitored and under-enforced. These exports are often carried via shadow tankers – loosely regulated vessels that move Russian crude to global markets with little interference. Every shipment that passes through that corridor contributes directly to the Kremlin’s war budget.

In spite of UK sanctions, some London-based Protection and Indemnity clubs are still insuring tankers moving Russian oil under the price cap mechanism. To effectively curtail Russia’s fossil fuel revenues and uphold our sanctions regime, the UK must urgently tighten oversight of marine insurers, crack down on shadow fleet operations, and prohibit any form of indirect support for these sanction-busting exports.

If we are serious about defending international law, supporting Ukraine, and shortening this war, we must strike at the economic heart of Russia’s war machine. That means ending its ability to profit from oil and gas exports – not in rhetoric, but in actual enforcement.

I am therefore urging you to raise the following specific points with the Foreign Secretary and relevant government ministers:

Specific Requests:

1. Push for Full EU and G7 Sanctions Enforcement: Support coordinated action to close all loopholes in existing oil sanctions – including flags of convenience, grey-market shipping practices, and non-compliant intermediaries.

2. Support for Maritime Enforcement in the Danish Straits: Advocate for UK and allied naval presence (in coordination with Denmark, France, and others) to monitor and interdict shadow fleet activity carrying Russian crude.

3. Back Sanctions on Shipping and Insurance Firms Involved: Press for sanctions against insurers, shippers, and traders who enable the illicit transport of Russian oil in violation of current embargoes or price cap regulations.

4. Encourage Transparency and Public Tracking: Call for greater transparency around ship movements, including real-time disclosure of vessels violating sanctions—so that public and market pressure can also be applied.

This is not a call for escalation – it is a call for effective enforcement. International law is already on our side. What is lacking is the political unity and resolve to implement the sanctions we’ve agreed to. Every day we delay, billions more enter Russia’s coffers—and more civilians in Ukraine pay the price.

If we fail to act decisively now, we risk not only prolonging this war, but also undermining our own credibility as a country committed to peace, sovereignty, and human rights.

I urge you to raise these points with the relevant Minister, and what response you receive. Together we must ensure the UK is leading, not lagging, in holding Russia accountable.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing

from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

[your name]