Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow will retaliate against European countries if they seize Russian commercial vessels, calling the measures acts of piracy.
Key points
- Putin stated he has instructed the Russian Ministry of Defense to prepare appropriate countermeasures at locations chosen by Russia.
- The warning comes amid escalating European Union pressure and asset restrictions targeting Russia's shadow fleet of tankers used to bypass petroleum sanctions.
- During his visit to the Sakhalin region, Putin also criticized growing NATO activities and military-political blocs forming in the Asia-Pacific area.
Why it matters
Potential retaliatory actions regarding commercial shipping threaten to further escalate maritime trade tensions, raising risk premiums for energy and commodity transport between Europe and Russia.
Comments
No comments yet.