Lavrov threatened the West with seizing ships in response to the detention of shadow tankers.
Russia will take "mirror" steps in response to the seizure of its shadow tankers by Western countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, accusing Europe of "piracy". "The European Union, which has become a military bloc (and clearly suffers from delusions of grandeur), remembered the times of slavery and piracy and took upon itself the open seizure of foreign ships and theft of refreshments," wrote the head of the department in an article for Kommersant. Lavrov claims that for this purpose, European countries "invented the term 'shadow fleet', which does not exist in international law", as well as the oil price ceiling that limits European companies from working with the Russian Navy.
"The markets are in a frenzy from such geopolitical chaos," said the minister. According to him, the international community must guarantee freedom of navigation "everywhere, to all countries and in all maritime areas". "It should be understood that actions from a position of strength, especially a weakening position, a policy of pressure, blackmail and dictation, are doomed and will be met with an asymmetric appearance and response," the article states. Western countries increased the detention of ships carrying Russian oil in early 2026. France, Sweden, Great Britain and other countries joined this. Shad boats are caught both in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Indian Ocean.
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