EU vows to press ahead with Russia sanctions as Trump strikes diesel deal with Putin

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at Bpifrance Inno Generation (BIG), one of Europe's largest entrepreneurship events, in Paris on Thursday (local time). [AFP]
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at Bpifrance Inno Generation (BIG), one of Europe's largest entrepreneurship events, in Paris on Thursday (local time). [AFP]

The French navy has seized an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean suspected of helping Russia evade oil sanctions through what is known as a "shadow fleet."

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday (local time) on X, formerly Twitter, that French naval forces had boarded and searched the tanker DF Peak that morning, about 450 nautical miles (roughly 830 kilometers) south of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

"This vessel is suspected of sailing under a false flag and engaging in illegal fuel transport activities," Macron said. "This action, taken in accordance with international maritime law, demonstrates our resolve to uphold the rule of law and fight illegal trafficking wherever it occurs." He added that France was firmly committed to combating the so-called shadow fleet wherever it operates in the world.

Macron also released a seven-second video showing footage of the operation.

The "shadow fleet" refers to vessels Russia has been secretly operating — changing their nationalities and names — to circumvent Western oil export sanctions imposed after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

French naval personnel board and search the oil tanker DF Peak about 450 nautical miles (roughly 830 kilometers) south of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean on Monday (local time). [Social media]
French naval personnel board and search the oil tanker DF Peak about 450 nautical miles (roughly 830 kilometers) south of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean on Monday (local time). [Social media]

The seized DF Peak was sailing under the flag of Benin, a West African nation, AFP reported. The vessel is one of roughly 700 ships on the EU's sanctions list and is believed to have operated under the name Kaliningrad until 2024.

Under the latest EU guidelines, member states may confiscate and sell the cargo — including oil — of sanctioned vessels they seize.

Russia has pushed back sharply against such measures. President Vladimir Putin has condemned European seizures of vessels as "piracy and robbery."

The French operation came amid growing concern in Europe after US President Donald Trump announced he had reached an agreement with Putin to supply Russian diesel to the United States and global markets on a large scale.

Trump, seeking to ease public anger over high energy prices ahead of November midterm elections, has moved to stabilize energy costs by partially lifting sanctions on Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the deal as a "gift" from Trump to Putin, prompting Trump to fire back that "Ukraine needs to get a new president."

The EU has said it will press ahead with tightening sanctions on Russia regardless of Washington's moves. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Trump to impose new sanctions on Russia rather than pursue a diesel import deal with Moscow.


yckim6452@heraldcorp.com