Western European Countries Are Looking for More Trouble: Putin threatens Western European countries with retaliation over "piracy and robbery"

 

“Russia is threatening Western European countries with retaliation if they sell off oil and other goods from seized vessels belonging to its "shadow fleet." On Wednesday, leader Vladimir Putin described the EU's authorization of such actions—included in its latest sanctions package—as "piracy and robbery." If implemented, "we will be forced to respond in kind. And not necessarily in the waters where attacks on our ships and boats are planned, but rather where we ourselves deem it necessary and appropriate," Putin added, citing the area of ​​operations of his Pacific Fleet—whose maneuvers he was attending—as an example.

 

The commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet stated that, in the area of ​​the Kuril Islands alone, 379 out of 1,001 vessels sailing between late April and early August flew the flags of "unfriendly states" (those that have imposed sanctions on Russia); these included 26 ships from Great Britain and nine from France. Since the beginning of the year, these countries—along with Belgium and Sweden—have seized at least ten "shadow fleet" vessels."