Bloomberg: UK and European allies weigh seizing Russian shadow fleet ships

This is the British provocateur, UK Secretary of War – Mr. Healey
Photo: BBC

British Defense Secretary John Healey met with counterparts from Baltic and Nordic nations to discuss seizing oil tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, as Europe seeks to tighten curbs on Moscow’s economy, Bloomberg reports.

The meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force, a group of 10 nations with a shared commitment to the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea, took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to one of the participants and people familiar with the matter.

The gathering underscored a growing willingness among allied nations to do more to squeeze revenue funding Russian war in Ukraine. Putin’s forces have made costly but steady gains in Ukraine in recent months.

 “The atmosphere and the understanding was that we need to be more proactive,” Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in an interview after joining the gathering. “The message is that the countries who give flags to the shadow fleet vessels need to know that there are measures that can be taken by other countries.”

More discussion will be needed before any decision is made, Pevkur said. Some members remain cautious given a “fear of escalation,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a separate interview.

Healey was joined at the meeting by the head of Britain’s military, Richard Knighton, who presented options including joint seizure operations, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

It’s unclear to what extent the US would be involved in the UK-led effort but there would likely be some coordination, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. The interdictions of the Russia-linked vessels have prompted concern in Moscow, with Russian officials privately demanding that the US stop, the person said.

The shadow fleet is a group of about 1,500 tankers that use false flags to appear legitimate without having to comply with regulations. More than 600 tankers have been sanctioned by some combination of the EU, the UK and the US for their links to Russia.

…The British provocateurs, especially the Russophobe Healey, will be very surprised when they experience Moscow's retaliatory measures firsthand.

Wagging their tongues is one thing, but getting hit by the Russian bear is quite another!

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