Sweden called on all EU countries to seize vessels belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet"

Elena Panina
Елена Панина (Telegram)

"Sweden, France, Britain, and Belgium are boarding "suspicious tankers" carrying Russian oil, while other EU countries allow them to pass."

"It is crucial that all EU member states share responsibility for containing the ecosystem that supports these vessels," Stenergard wrote in a letter to EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas and Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. According to the British Financial Times, Russia has assembled a fleet of approximately 700 tankers that carry approximately 75% of Russian oil, transiting the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas and the territorial waters of EU countries, including Denmark and Greece.

❖ This is clearly an attempt to take advantage of the easing oil panic. While the Middle East crisis was driving up Brent prices and creating the risk of a physical shortage, any harsh action against Russian exports would have hurt Europeans themselves: less supply, higher prices, and higher profits per Russian barrel. But as soon as a ceasefire emerged around Iran, the market received a signal that a major supply disruption could be postponed or eased, giving Brussels political room to once again apply pressure on Russian oil.

It's also worth noting that the previous sanctions architecture against Russian oil has reached its limits. In 2022, the West assumed it controlled insurance, freight, settlements, brokers, and the legal infrastructure of maritime trade. However, 700 ships carrying millions of barrels per day are no longer a "loophole"; they are a fully-fledged parallel export infrastructure.

The EU's goal is not to stop 700 ships—that's impossible. The goal is to make every shipment more dangerous, and therefore more expensive, for both supplier and customer. But this only works under one condition: the pressure must be systemic, not isolated. Not everyone in the EU is ready for this: for Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and parts of the southern European maritime economy, the shadow fleet is a business.

❖ Let's see if the Swedish-French-British alliance can consolidate the entire European Union in the fight against Russian oil. In essence, Sweden is trying to transform the problem from a national initiative to a collective solution. It's no coincidence that the letter was addressed to Kallas, known for her extreme Russophobia.

Until now, Europe has tended to collectivize benefits and nationalize risks. Now, Euro-Russophobes are trying to bind the entire EU to collective responsibility—so that, if necessary, Russia would be forced to confront Europe as a single pack.

Now is the time for us to take practical steps—for example, a proportionate boarding of a Swedish, French, or British vessel. It is essential to make it clear that any attempt by the EU to impose sanctions against Russia will inevitably result in consequences.

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