A new European strategy to block Russian oil revenue has been announced, with France’s detention of a vessel suspected of belonging to Moscow’s “shadow fleet” marking a shift to a tougher policy.
New European Strategy
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the seizure of the vessel was part of a new, wider European strategy to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. The new approach involves moving toward a “policy of obstruction” against suspicious vessels involved in illicit oil trafficking within European waters.
Macron estimated that Russia’s “shadow fleet,” consisting of a collection of aging tankers used to circumvent sanctions and continue oil exports, totals 800 to 1,000 vessels. NATO members are expected to agree on more concrete measures to step up the campaign against this fleet in the coming days.
The Detention Incident
French Navy commandos detained the tanker off western France. The vessel was already under European Union and British sanctions for suspected participation in Russian oil exports. The detention occurred after the crew provided inconsistent information regarding the vessel’s nationality. The captain, a Chinese national, is being prosecuted for a failure to comply.
Link to Drone Incursions
The detained vessel had sailed past Copenhagen just as drone activity forced the closure of Danish airports. Denmark has suggested Russia may have been responsible for what it called a hybrid attack, an accusation Moscow denies.
President Macron stated that he could not rule out a connection between the vessel and the drone incursions, though he currently lacked proof. In response to the French action, the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed the detention as “hysteria,” warning that such actions could create problems for global energy transportation routes.
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Source: Reuters
