Trump on collision course with Putin after US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker
Russia issue ‘crisis’ warning after US seize oil tanker over sanction violations
- US forces, with support from British armed forces, seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the Atlantic for alleged violations of US sanctions.
- The Marinera, part of a 'shadow fleet' evading sanctions, was reportedly en route to a Scottish port and had recently changed its flag from Guyanese to Russian.
- Russia's transport ministry stated the seizure breached international maritime law, with a Kremlin adviser warning of a potential 'crisis situation' in US-Russia relations.
- UK Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the vessel as part of a 'Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion' and affirmed Britain's commitment to combating such activities.
- These seizures occur amid broader global tensions, including a diplomatic dispute over Greenland, which British military figures have urged Sir Keir Starmer to defend more robustly.