It’s not just about oil from the Russian Federation, but also Iranian oil on tankers.
Ukraine, together with the European Union, is working on legislative changes that will allow for the confiscation of Russian and Iranian oil from the vessels of the “shadow fleet.”
This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing his video address.
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According to Zelensky, this is about forming legal mechanisms that will be applied after such tankers are stopped.
The head of state emphasized that this should become part of a systemic response to Russia’s attempts to circumvent sanctions through illegal oil supplies.
Previously, he welcomed the detention of a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker by European countries and called not only for blocking such vessels but also for confiscating the oil they carry in the interests of European security.
This specifically refers to the detention by France of a sanctioned vessel carrying Russian oil, which was sailing under the flag of another state. The tanker was spotted in the Mediterranean Sea, and the operation took place several days ago.
“This tanker is already under sanctions from Ukraine, Britain, the European Union, and America. Yet the Russians still use it. It systematically transports not only Russian but also Iranian oil,” Zelensky stated.
The president also referred to Russia and Iran as allies and called for even greater pressure on Moscow.
As is known, the “shadow fleet” of Russia is a network of vessels that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions and export oil, allowing it to continue financing the war against Ukraine.
It is worth noting that recently Ukrainian intelligence reported on the Kremlin’s plans to increase the number of oil tankers in the “shadow fleet.”
Back in early March, Zelensky proposed to the EU to confiscate “shadow fleet” tankers for the sake of Europe’s security. This came after Belgium detained one of these tankers.
