Recommendation 40

We welcome the sanctions put in place following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, it is unacceptable that the EU sanctions legislation in 2014 included a prior contracts clause permitting licences where the export concerned the execution of an obligation arising from a contract or an agreement concluded before 1 August 2014. In response to our report the Government should set out the lessons learned from this incident and how it will ensure this situation is not repeated. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU it will be necessary to coordinate efforts with the EU with regards to Russia and Ukraine and future crises.