Baltic countries are looking for new opportunities to restrain the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation – the media

< img src = "/uploads/blogs/95/59/ib-fq4nbr5j2_499ea2a6.jpg" Alt = "Baltic countries are looking for new opportunities to restrain the shadow fleet of Russia"/> ~ ~ ~ ~ < p > According to two EU diplomats and two officials, the Baltic Sea countries are studying new measures to detain ships that they suspect in cutting cables and illegal transportation of Russian oil, using all possible methods & mdash; From Piracy Laws to Insurance Rules, Politico reports.

< P > Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia consider the use of international law to seize courts for environmental or pirate reasons, officials on anonymity reported. Countries can jointly develop new national laws to seize more ships in the sea.

< p >New proposals with & Rsquo; have emerged against the backdrop of general disappointment that Western sanctions against Russia do not work. Moscow continues to carry its oil and evade sanctions, relying on & laquo; shadow fleet & raquo; that is constantly growing & mdash; Old vessels with unclear ownership and unknown insurance. Russian exports of oil and gas brings about half of income.

< p > & laquo; almost 50% of the sanction trade [Russian oil] goes through the Finnish bay & raquo ;, & ndash; The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tahkn said. There are environmental threats, there are attacks on our submarine infrastructure. & laquo; now the question is & hellip; What can we do with these ships ? & ndash; He said, & ndash; We cannot block the whole sea but we can control more. & hellip; There are many opportunities & raquo;.

< p >The negotiations received a new impetus after Finland seized a shadow fleet ship, suspected of sabotage of power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea. According to officials, the ideas under consideration are divided into three categories:

< P > First, the authorities could capture vessels that risk harming the local environment, for example, as a result of oil spill.

< P > Secondly, countries could use piracy laws to seize ships that threaten critically important underwater infrastructure.

< P > Third, if international law does not work, countries also discuss the possibility of joint introduction of new national legislation to facilitate the seizure of ships in the sea.

~ < p > According to officials, this may include a requirement for tankers in the Baltic Sea to use a set list of reliable insurers.

< p > In all cases, they added, the countries will ask the EU to coordinate efforts.

< p > According to Lithuanian Energy Minister Zhigimantas Vajuasnas, EU statement on how countries can interpret international law, can become one of the first steps in strengthening the legitimacy of these new efforts.

~ ~ < p > Baltic Sea & ndash; The most important artery for Russian oil trade. Last year, 348 of the shadow fleet, which is 40 percent of the total oil sales in Russia, came out of the Baltic Sea ports.