The U.S. takes a tougher stance: an expert assessed whether Trump could destroy Russia’s shadow fleet

Political analyst and serviceman Oleksandr Musiienko commented on reports by Western media that Trump would take a tougher position in peace negotiations and assessed what this might entail, Politeka reports.

He spoke about this on his blog.

As the Associated Press writes, the expert says, Trump is adjusting his approach and increasingly talks about the need for a new formula for dialogue in order to reach agreements between Ukraine and Russia more quickly. Sources cited by the outlet, he notes, say this involves a tougher stance and the use of additional leverage.

“There will probably be a tougher approach. What it will turn into—we’ll see. At the very least, the Americans have detained another vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet. And thanks to them for that, because unlike the Europeans, they at least don’t release these ships but arrest them, and even drain the oil that the vessels were transporting. So at least this is happening—let them at least deal with this and deprive Russia of the ability to use its shadow fleet,” Oleksandr Musiienko comments.

He explains that this concerns the vessel Aquila II, which violated a quarantine for sanctioned ships in the Caribbean Sea. The tanker attempted to flee, but U.S. military forces pursued it all the way to the Indian Ocean and boarded it. According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), the expert adds, Aquila II is one of the shadow fleet vessels that helps transport Russian oil, and it likely also carried Venezuelan oil.

“It’s good that they are countering it this way. The more, the better. Russia created its shadow fleet from old tankers. And the Russian Federation doesn’t have that many tankers capable of transporting oil over such long distances and in significant volumes. Therefore, the loss of each such high-tonnage tanker that can operate on long routes is, in fact, a loss for Russian carriers and their oil traders. And that means reduced income,” Oleksandr Musiienko explains.

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