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Putin threatens retaliatory seizures of European ships
Euronews.com • • general
Key Points:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to seize ships belonging to European countries in retaliation for plans to sell cargo seized from Russian "shadow fleet" vessels, which have been intercepted for violating EU sanctions on Russian oil.
- New EU sanctions allow member states to sell oil or other cargo seized from ships violating sanctions, prompting Moscow to label these actions as "piracy and banditry" and vow to respond "wherever we deem necessary."
- A Swedish court has ordered the transfer of a seized Russian ship suspected of transporting grain from occupied Ukraine to Kyiv, escalating tensions further.
- Putin made these statements aboard the Russian cruiser Varyag during naval drills near Sakhalin Island, coinciding with upcoming joint US-South Korean military exercises simulating a North Korean invasion.
- The region is experiencing heightened tensions amid accusations from Kyiv and Seoul that North Korea and Russia are deepening their military cooperation.
