Ukrainian students join protest against Seapeak’s role in Russian gas trade

Students from across Scotland have joined a campaign against a Glasgow-based firm implicated in the Russian gas trade

Ukrainian students from the Universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee joined protests last week against Seaspeak Maritime, a Glasgow-based company accused of profiting from the transport of Russian fossil fuels during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign Scotland (USCS) organised the demonstration in partnership with Climate Camp Scotland and the Ukrainian student societies at the three universities. Together, they’ve formed the Stop Seapeak Coalition to pressure the UK government into ending the use of British firms in the Russian gas trade.

Seapeak, headquartered in Anderston, operates a fleet of icebreaker tankers that have shipped over £11 billion worth of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) since the start of the war, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Campaigners argue that this trade helps fund Russia's war effort, generating roughly £3.5 billion annually for the Russian state.

“Even though Europe and the UK have put sanctions on Russian gas and oil, Russia is selling even more fossil fuels now,” said Taras Harasym, President of the University of Edinburgh Ukrainian Society. “Seapeak is one of the companies that works for Russia on a huge scale.”

Harasym pointed to the role of fossil fuels in Russia’s militarised economy: “The Russian economy has been put on war rails. Fossil fuels are the main source of income. The fewer companies like Seapeak working with Russia, the fewer weapons are used to kill Ukrainians and other oppressed nations.”

Anna Konovalenko, a Ukrainian activist who joined the demonstration, further argued that companies profiting from the Russian market are complicit. “It all comes down to the money importing companies like Seapeak contribute to the Russian budget. This money then goes to sponsor the war. According to the latest data, Russia spent over 6% of its GDP on the military sector in 2024. And Seapeak’s money is there too.”

She added, “It is quite heartbreaking that, four years into the war, we still have companies that deliberately choose to continue business with Russia — a state recognised by the EU as a sponsor of terrorism. In my head, if you are giving money to sponsors of terrorism, you automatically become one.”

Konovalenko also criticised the wider political and media response. “Last year, I’ve been observing how the attention span has shifted from Ukraine. Considering everything else happening in the world, especially Trump’s presidency, the news streams are overloaded. But Ukraine can’t just be another thing journalists casually refer to.”

“I think we need to take every open opportunity not only to drive attention to Ukraine but to explain to people what is really happening. Many don’t understand the war in Ukraine and have no one close enough to ask. I want them to feel comfortable enough to ask these questions.”

“It is all about choices,” Konovalenko stated. “Not only in the energy sector, but in every little detail. Companies like Mars, Nestlé, and Mondelez are still operating in Russia. Fossil fuel exports just bring in much more revenue. That’s why organising informational campaigns is so important — so people can find where they stand on every issue concerning Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

“Choosing energy sources consciously is crucial. Russian LNG isn’t just ecologically destructive — it’s sponsoring Russia’s war machine. Supporting such trade is supporting oppression.”

On the UK’s role, he said, “It looks like the UK sanctions were intentionally left with loopholes. Seapeak is exploiting one of them — prioritising business over values.”

Graham Campbell, Glasgow SNP councillor and chair of USCS, echoed these concerns: “Seapeak is undermining sanctions against Russia by continuing to ship LNG to European ports like Zeebrugge. They have blood on their hands, and we will keep shutting down their Glasgow offices until action is taken.”

Campbell, along with other speakers at the event, including outgoing Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie, called on MPs to support Early Day Motion 651, tabled by Chris Law MP on 17 January 2025. The motion urges the UK government to ban UK companies from shipping or insuring Russian fossil fuels and to impose sanctions on those that do. Signatories include MPs from Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, and the Liberal Democrats, though notably, no Labour MPs have signed on.

The Stop Seapeak Coalition has pledged to escalate its campaign until the UK government changes its policies, arguing that continuing the trade in Russian fossil fuels is incompatible with climate justice and global solidarity with Ukraine.

Published 14 April 2025