Photo: EPA
France seizes Russian tanker in the Mediterranean, Macron says.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French Navy boarded a sanctioned oil tanker this morning in the Mediterranean, en route from Russia. The vessel is suspected of operating under a false flag, Macron said.
The operation, he added, was conducted with the support of several allies and in strict accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Macron emphasized that Paris is committed to upholding international law and ensuring the effective enforcement of sanctions.
“A judicial investigation has been opened. The ship has been redirected,”
Macron said.
Macron made the announcement simultaneously as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the Davos forum, criticizing Europe for inaction. Zelenskyy highlighted that the United States has seized Russian oil tankers, while Europe has not.
For context, on the evening of January 7, U.S. forces seized the oil tanker Bella-1 under a U.S. federal court order; the ship was Russian-registered. Hours later, another vessel, M/T Sophia, was detained. Both ships had links to Venezuela. The White House later warned that the crew of Bella-1 would face prosecution for transporting sanctioned oil. Moscow condemned the U.S. actions, demanding humane treatment for the Russian crew and equating the seizure to a military incursion, while Kyiv welcomed the new U.S. approach toward Russia.
