Zelenskyy reacts to 12 European countries strengthening measures against Russia's shadow fleet
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
On Monday, December 16, 12 countries from the Nordic-Baltic Eight ++ agreed to strengthen measures against Russia's shadow fleet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the decision, according to his post on social media platform X.
"I welcome today's Nordic-Baltic Eight ++ joint statement on countering Russia's shadow fleet. I thank leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK for their principled stance," said the Ukrainian president in his statement.
Zelenskyy emphasized that these obsolete tankers, in addition to generating huge profits for Russia's military machine and funding war crimes against Ukrainians, pose a serious environmental threat to the coastal states of the Baltic and North Seas.
The president added that the decision to limit the activities of Russia's shadow fleet is entirely justified to protect Ukraine and all of Europe.
"We are looking forward to the practical implementation of the insurance checks mentioned in the statement. We need collective resolve to defund the Russian war machine and protect the European environment," Zelenskyy concluded.
Yesterday, 12 countries from the Nordic-Baltic Eight ++ agreed to enhance monitoring of vessels that may be linked to Russia's shadow fleet. Specifically, these countries, located near the Baltic and North Seas, will now require insurance proof from suspicious vessels passing through the English Channel, the Danish Straits, as well as the strait between Denmark and Sweden and the Gulf of Finland.
Just a few days ago, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that Ukrainian intelligence officers had identified 238 vessels of Russia's shadow fleet.
