Starmer gives green light for UK forces to intercept Putin’s shadow fleet
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Keir Starmer has authorized British forces to board and potentially detain sanctioned vessels in UK waters to increase economic pressure on Russia amid its war on Ukraine.
- The new powers target Moscow's "shadow fleet," a network of aging tankers with unclear ownership used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
- This move follows Britain's cooperation with the U.S. in seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker and clarifies the UK's stance on legally boarding stateless ships.
- Previously focused on tracking and intelligence-sharing, the UK will now lead more active operations to disrupt sanctions evasion, aligning with efforts by Joint Expeditionary Force members like Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.
- Starmer emphasized the need for vigilance in sanction enforcement, citing Russia's potential to profit from higher oil prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D630%26fit%3Dcrop%26enable%3Dupscale%26auto%3Dwebp?format=webp&w=120&h=80)
