On Nov. 12, as European leaders were preparing to meet in Dublin to figure out a way to weasel their way into the U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks, in order to make sure they fail, the British government announced that it had expanded its anti-Russian sanctions list to include Russian chemical company Sibur Holding and the Vostok Oil project of the Russian oil major Rosneft. According to TASS, restrictions also covered Slavneft, Kuzbassrazrezugol, Siberian Coal Power Company, NIPIgazpererabotka, and UAE-based Forteza Trading, Novus Energy, and Patera companies.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters Nov. 12 that he had spoken to many European leaders in Dublin, and “all the leaders I’ve spoken to today are determined to put a bit of a ring of steel around Zelensky as part of all of this to back him up to the hilt, and that’s what we will do.”

Burnham insisted that European security would never be up for discussion with Putin in any future talks, and said his national security advisor, Jonathan Powell, would travel to Berlin for further consultations.