Speaking to the Guardian during his first visit to London since Sweden became a Nato member, Tobias Billstr6m called for new rules and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the ageing and uninsured Russian shadow fleet causing an environmental catastrophe.
About half of all Russian oil transported by sea passes through the Baltic Sea and Danish waters, often operating under opaque ownership, and using international waters to try to avoid scrutiny.
The fleet generates a huge amount of revenue for Russia’s war machine, bypassing western sanctions that try to block access to insurance if Russia sells the oil above 60 a barrel. In practice as little as 20% of Russian oil is sold below the price cap.
Foreign ministers from the NordicBaltic grouping of eight countries met on the strategic island of Gotland a fortnight ago to discuss how to tackle the Russian fleet.
“We will all be affected if there were a major problem arising from acollision or oil leakage from one of these ships, which also in many cases are not seaworthy, or very close to not being seaworthy,” Billstrom said.
This story is from the April 18, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the April 18, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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