La “flotte fantôme” russe menace la sécurité européenne
On December 16, leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force met in Tallinn (capital of Estonia). They agreed to take measures against Russia's use of its "ghost fleet".
The Scandinavian and Baltic states, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland agreed "to disrupt and discourage Russia's ghost fleet in order to prevent illegal operations and increase the costs of its war against Ukraine", according to a statement.
Russia is accused of using this fleet to circumvent EU sanctions. This fleet is, according to the Estonian chancellery, composed of oil tankers and cargo ships suspected of transporting Russian oil but also military equipment and stolen Ukrainian grain. Around fifty ships are now on the list of "new suspects".
Kristen Michal, Estonian Prime Minister, stresses that this “ghost fleet” represents not only a threat to European security but also to the bloc’s economies and the environment. She warns: “Those who decide to operate in the shadows must bear the consequences.”
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: Agencies - Illustration: Unsplash)