Johnson says UK may need to produce more oil and gas to reduce reliance on Russia – as it happened

6.00pm GMT

Afternoon summary

• Boris Johnson has said the UK may have to increase its domestic gas and oil production in order to wean itself off Russian resources, despite the opposition of climate campaigners and some scepticism in the cabinet. But, speaking at a press conference with his Canadian and Dutch counterparts, Johnson also signalled that a US proposal for a western ban on oil and gas imports from Russia was unrealistic in the short term. (See 3.32pm.)

• The UK government’s policy towards Ukrainian refugees has been thrown into chaos after Priti Patel’s pledge to introduce a new humanitarian route to enter the UK was contradicted by Downing Street and ministers.

• Patel has told MPs that people smuggling gangs “roaming around Calais” could seek to exploit Ukrainian refugees hoping to reach the UK. She made the comment as she opened the second reading debate on the economic crime (transparency and enforcement) bill, which will clear all its Commons stages tonight. Patel also said the government had set up a visa application centre “en route to Calais”, but away from the port. She was responding to complaints that Ukrainians who reached Calais and tried to get a visa for the UK have been told to return to Paris to get one.

• Johnson has dimissed complaints about his role in securing a peerage for Evgeny Lebedev, the son of a former KGB agent turned oligarch, suggesting the criticism made the UK look “anti-Russian”. (See 1.10am.)

• Sir Alan Duncan, the Tory former Foreign Office minister, has said sanctions against Russia could lead to “dystopian economic collapse” for the west if taken too far. (See 10.21am.)

That’s all from me for today. But our coverage of the Ukraine war continues on our global live blog. It’s here.

5.35pm GMT

This is from the FT’s Jim Pickard on the PM’s comments at his press conference about increasing the production of oil and gas in Britain. (See 4.43pm.)

one thing you need to know about Boris Johnson encouraging more North Sea oil & gas drilling:

- oil & gas from UK oilfields is sold to private sector companies and doesn't necessarily end up in the UK

- therefore this doesn't necessarily help a future domestic energy shortage

— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) March 7, 2022

And these are from ITV’s Robert Peston.

So Johnson’s emergency energy plan will be about getting every last drop of oil and gas out of the North Sea - though it is hard to sequester that for the UK - and going hell for leather for nuclear and renewables. Which suggests that the UK’s net zero timetable will… https://t.co/riWCjY59Ci

— Robert Peston (@Peston) March 7, 2022

initially be slowed down and then accelerated. The short term deceleration will disappoint many climate-change campaigners.

— Robert Peston (@Peston) March 7, 2022