West alters legal grounds for apprehending Russian ships – as stated by Patrushev
Russia Braces for Potential Expansion of Maritime Inspections and Banking Sanctions
Moscow, Russia - Russia's Maritime Board chairman, Nikolay Patrushev, has warned of Western countries adjusting their legal framework for the inspection of ships transporting cargo in Russia's interests in international waters, according to state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.
Patrushev expressed concerns over the ongoing policy of sanctions pressure by Western nations and potential blockage of Russian vessels passing through international straits. He cited the Estonian authorities' previous attempts to detain shipping vessels en route to Russian ports under the pretense of preventing threats to underwater infrastructure.
This latest announcement follows reports of the EU mulling over disconnecting more than 20 Russian banks from the SWIFT system, which would further hinder the country's financial transactions on a global scale.
The West has already imposed significant restrictions on Russia's banking sector, with asset freezes on most Russian banks and strategic industries, blocking access to U.S. assets and dealing with 80% of Russia's banking sector assets. Furthermore, Western nations have targeted Russia's "shadow fleet" by imposing sanctions on oil tankers and other vessels involved in evading sanctions through covert oil trading.
As global powers continue to impose sanctions, discussions revolve around lowering the price cap for Russian oil to further minimize the country's oil revenues. The U.S., EU, and UK are also working together to strengthen enforcement mechanisms against Russia's shadow fleet and maintain economic pressure on Moscow.
In the midst of war-and-conflicts and politics, the president of Russia, Nikolay Patrushev, has raised a concern about the potential expansion of maritime inspections and banking sanctions, as Western nations consider adjusting their policy-and-legislation to inspect ships transporting Russian cargo in international waters. This general-news comes amid reports of the EU contemplating disconnecting more than 20 Russian banks from SWIFT, further exacerbating Russia's financial difficulties and political tension.
