French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Thursday to take coordinated action against Russia's so-called shadow fleet and follow his country's lead in clamping down on vessels used to bust Western sanctions.
France is currently investigating a Benin-flagged ship that is among hundreds of ageing tankers blacklisted by the European Union for aiding Moscow to circumvent oil export curbs imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"It is extremely important to increase the pressure on this shadow fleet, because it will clearly reduce the capacity to finance this war effort," Macron told a leaders' gathering in Denmark.
The French leader suggested European countries belonging to the "coalition of the willing" in support of Kyiv work in coordination with NATO to optimise "common action" in that regard.
French authorities have detained two senior crew members of the Boracay, which is positioned off France's western coast, and launched a probe over the crew's "failure to justify the nationality of the vessel" and "refusal to cooperate".
Ship tracking data shows the tanker was off the Danish coast last month during mysterious drone flights that sparked security concerns and airport closures in the country.
Media reports have linked the French action to the unidentified flights -- something Paris has not confirmed.
But Macron said that besides ensuring vessels complied with international rules, such detentions were "very important" to up pressure on Moscow, sap its war chest, and force it to the negotiating table.
"You kill the business model by detaining, even for days or weeks, these vessels and forcing them to organise themselves differently," he said in Copenhagen.
Estimated to include up to 1,000 ships, the shadow fleet is thought to represent "tens of billions of euros of Russia's budget" and make up "40 percent of the Russian war effort", according to Macron.
With AFP
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