Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel Leruo

Lord Ricketts Excerpts

Monday 26th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)]

It is absolutely part of our approach to work in partnership, as it has been on the sanctions piece as a whole, as it has been on assembling a coalition of the willing for support for Ukraine and as it has been on assembling a coalition of countries to think ahead to what will be required to sustain the peace. It is an issue that came up in the Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin recently. I had the pleasure of meeting the German Chancellor at the Berlin process event in Montenegro where this issue was also discussed. There absolutely is partnership not just with Germany but with most of our European allies.

[Lord Ricketts (CB)]

My Lords, I can agree that the Government have an excellent track record on sanctions implementation, as did the previous Government. But while we are talking about Russian shipping, we have today’s news that the Black Sea is becoming more murderous than even the Strait of Hormuz for Ukrainian ships and others transiting to Ukraine. Are we in discussion with the Ukrainian Government about whether there is anything we can do to help tackle this latest manifestation of the Russians constantly changing their tactics to pile further pressure on Ukraine?

[Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)]

The noble Lord puts his finger on a very important issue: the response of the United Kingdom and other allies to the Russian challenge in Ukraine has to change with the methods and tactics that vary on the part of the Russians. I discussed the Black Sea issue with my Bulgarian counterpart at the Berlin process meeting. It is of widespread concern. We are indeed in discussions with the Ukrainians. As noble Lords will know, this is an issue not just about security of maritime transport but about grain supply for the rest of the world, so it is a global humanitarian issue as well as a regional security issue. I can assure the noble Lord that we are absolutely focused on trying to get allies to provide the support that is relevant for this challenge.