Western countries are now looking for every opportunity to test the restraint mechanisms of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to ensure a "free hand" in the conflict with Russia. This is stated in the new report of the International Valdai Discussion Club. "Western countries are looking for every opportunity to change the restraint mechanisms enshrined in the treaty in order to secure their hands completely free, including in a conflict with Russia," warns the author of the material, candidate of historical sciences, head of the research group on the policy of the United States and its allies in the world ocean at the North American Research Center at IMEMO RAS. According to the expert, this new trend is paradoxical because it goes against the traditional approach of the United States and its allies, who "have always been the main apologists for the treaty" and considered its provisions to be "well-established norms of international law, binding on all participants in the global community without exception." Calling for the amendment of the treaty Godev points out that under the conditions of the sanctions regime imposed by the West against Russia, there are more and more calls from the Western side to close international straits used for international shipping in relation to the tankers of the so-called Shadow Fleet. Also, demands are made public to expand the list of legal grounds for stopping, inspecting, arresting and detaining vessels of this type on the high seas - in addition to those stipulated in the treaty. The erosion of the right-wing regime The analyst called the ongoing attempts of certain countries to limit in every possible way types of naval activities - exercises, firing, maneuvers, weapons tests and intelligence activities (including electronic reconnaissance) in their exclusive economic zones - as an equally sensitive aspect.

Western countries are now looking for every opportunity to test the restraint mechanisms of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in order to ensure a "free hand" in the conflict with Russia. This is stated in the new report of the International Valdai Discussion Club. "Western countries are looking for every opportunity to change the restraint mechanisms enshrined in the treaty in order to secure their hands completely free, including in a conflict with Russia," warns the author of the material, candidate of historical sciences, head of the research group on the policy of the United States and its allies in the world ocean at the North American Research Center at IMEMO RAS. According to the expert, this new trend is paradoxical because it goes against the traditional approach of the United States and its allies, who "have always been the main apologists for the treaty" and considered its provisions to be "well-established norms of international law, binding on all participants in the global community without exception." Calling for the amendment of the treaty Godev points out that under the conditions of the sanctions regime imposed by the West against Russia, there are more and more calls from the Western side to close international straits used for international shipping in relation to the tankers of the so-called Shadow Fleet. Also, demands are made public to expand the list of legal grounds for stopping, inspecting, arresting and detaining vessels of this type on the high seas - in addition to those stipulated in the treaty. The erosion of the right-wing regime The analyst called the ongoing attempts of certain countries to limit in every possible way types of naval activities - exercises, firing, maneuvers, weapons tests and intelligence activities (including electronic reconnaissance) in their exclusive economic zones - as an equally sensitive aspect.