Latest news with #Western-led
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Sweden steps up rules against Russia's Baltic 'shadow fleet'
Sweden on Saturday (May 31, 2025) announced new rules upping checks on foreign vessels in the Baltic from July 1, reinforcing a crackdown on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade. Since the Western-led sanctions imposed after its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been relying on hundreds of such ships, that operate under murky ownership and dodgy insurance. European governments frequently blame the vessels for damaging — deliberately or not — undersea cables, and for posing a maritime environmental threat. The Swedish government said in a statement that the new rules "reinforce checks on foreign vessels by requiring insurance information". It said the effort "aims to fight against this fleet and, in so doing, improve maritime safety and environmental protection". The Swedish coast guard and maritime authorities will be tasked with scrutinising insurance details not only of ships docking in Swedish ports, "but also those crossing Swedish territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone", which extends some 200 nautical miles from shore. Sweden and Finland — both of whom recently joined NATO — are alert to Baltic Sea incidents impacting energy and communication infrastructure, after several instances of damage in late 2024. "We are seeing a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea, which requires... us to prepare for the worst," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in Saturday's statement. He added that information gleaned under the new rules checking vessels would be shared with allies and could be added to databases used for sanctions enforcement. The European Union last week adopted a 17th sanctions package against Russia that targets nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet".
Local Sweden
8 hours ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Sweden steps up rules against Russia's Baltic 'shadow fleet'
Sweden on Saturday announced new rules upping checks on foreign vessels in the Baltic from July 1, reinforcing a crackdown on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade. Advertisement Since the Western-led sanctions imposed after its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been relying on hundreds of such ships, that operate under murky ownership and dodgy insurance. European governments frequently blame the vessels for damaging -- deliberately or not -- undersea cables, and of posing a maritime environmental threat. The Swedish government said in a statement that the new rules "reinforce checks on foreign vessels by requiring insurance information". It said the effort "aims to fight against this fleet and, in so doing, improve maritime safety and environmental protection". The Swedish coast guard and maritime authorities will be tasked with scrutinising insurance details not only of ships docking in Swedish ports, "but also those crossing Swedish territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone", which extends some 200 nautical miles from shore. Sweden and Finland -- both of whom recently joined NATO -- are alert to Baltic Sea incidents impacting energy and communication infrastructure, after several instances of damage in late 2024. Advertisement "We are seeing a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea, which requires... us to prepare for the worst," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in Saturday's statement. He added that information gleaned under the new rules checking vessels would be shared with allies and could be added to databases used for sanctions enforcement. The European Union last week adopted a 17th sanctions package against Russia that targets nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet".
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sweden steps up rules against Russia's Baltic 'shadow fleet'
Representative image via AP Sweden on Saturday announced new rules upping checks on foreign vessels in the Baltic from July 1, reinforcing a crackdown on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade. Since the Western-led sanctions imposed after its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been relying on hundreds of such ships, that operate under murky ownership and dodgy insurance. European governments frequently blame the vessels for damaging -- deliberately or not -- undersea cables, and of posing a maritime environmental threat. The Swedish government said in a statement that the new rules "reinforce checks on foreign vessels by requiring insurance information". It said the effort "aims to fight against this fleet and, in so doing, improve maritime safety and environmental protection". The Swedish coast guard and maritime authorities will be tasked with scrutinising insurance details not only of ships docking in Swedish ports, "but also those crossing Swedish territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone", which extends some 200 nautical miles from shore. Sweden and Finland -- both of whom recently joined NATO -- are alert to Baltic Sea incidents impacting energy and communication infrastructure, after several instances of damage in late 2024. "We are seeing a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea, which requires... us to prepare for the worst," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in Saturday's statement. He added that information gleaned under the new rules checking vessels would be shared with allies and could be added to databases used for sanctions enforcement. The European Union last week adopted a 17th sanctions package against Russia that targets nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet".
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Sweden steps up rules against Russia's 'shadow fleet'
Sweden has announced new rules upping checks on foreign vessels in the Baltic from 1 July, reinforcing a crackdown on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade. Since the Western-led sanctions imposed after its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been relying on hundreds of such ships, that operate under murky ownership and dodgy insurance. European governments frequently blame the vessels for damaging, deliberately or not, undersea cables, and of posing a maritime environmental threat. The Swedish government said in a statement that the new rules "reinforce checks on foreign vessels by requiring insurance information". It said the effort "aims to fight against this fleet and, in so doing, improve maritime safety and environmental protection". The Swedish coast guard and maritime authorities will be tasked with scrutinising insurance details not only of ships docking in Swedish ports, "but also those crossing Swedish territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone", which extends some 200 nautical miles from shore. Sweden and Finland, both of whom recently joined NATO, are alert to Baltic Sea incidents impacting energy and communication infrastructure, after several instances of damage in late 2024. "We are seeing a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea, which requires ... us to prepare for the worst," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement. He added that information gleaned under the new rules checking vessels would be shared with allies and could be added to databases used for sanctions enforcement. The European Union last week adopted a 17th sanctions package against Russia that targets nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet".
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Russia slams Israeli attacks on Gaza as 'collective punishment' of civilians
MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday slammed Israeli attacks on Gaza as "collective punishment of the civilian population", in some of Moscow's strongest criticism of Israel as it steps up its offensive. The Israeli military has recently stepped up its offensive in the territory in what it says is a renewed push to destroy Hamas, whose Oct 7, 2023 attack triggered the war. "What is happening in Gaza is incomprehensible and indescribable," Lavrov said at a regional forum. "The measures taken by Israel" in response to the attack by Hamas "constitute collective punishment of the civilian population," he added. Featured Videos Russia and Israel have traditionally enjoyed warm relations -- almost a fifth of Israel's population is Russian-speaking and Moscow has for years strove to maintain cordial ties with all major powers in the Middle East. The two countries also closely coordinate military actions in Syria, and Israel has so far abstained from sharp criticism of Russia's offensive on Ukraine and has not joined Western-led sanctions on Moscow. But amid its offensive in Ukraine, Russia has been establishing closer diplomatic and business ties with Arab countries. "We, together with our Arab friends and the overwhelming majority of other countries, insist that the bloodshed must stop immediately," Lavrov said. - AFP
