The European Union is exploring further restrictive measures on those enabling Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers transporting oil in a further effort to disrupt Moscow’s ability to fund its war against Ukraine, APA reports, citing energyconnects.com.
The bloc’s foreign ministers, who will meet in Brussels Thursday, are expected to explore stepping up engagements with countries that register the vessels in an effort to clamp down on these ships Russia uses to circumvent the bloc’s sanctions, according to people familiar with the plans.
Officials will discuss “what more can we do with the shadow fleet, because it really has an effect on Russia’s revenues to finance this war,” said top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, arriving at Thursday’s meeting.
The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said that Moscow’s interference in the bloc should be considered terrorism. “These sabotage acts they are organizing on our territories in different countries are extremely, extremely serious,” Kallas said at a Bloomberg event Tuesday.
Any new measures discussed would be part of the EU’s 20th package of sanctions, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also suggested the EU explore a “more efficient” shadow fleet blacklist that updates “automatically,” instead of with each sanctions package.
“That could be a way forward,” said Rasmussen, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
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