German, French lawmakers call for tougher measures against Russia's shadow fleet
According to the German news agency dpa, citing a draft joint document, the proposal is expected to be adopted on June 22 at a meeting of the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly.
The initiative, supported by lawmakers from the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, the Social Democratic Party of Germany, and the opposition Alliance 90/The Greens, also calls for increased diplomatic pressure on countries whose flags are used by vessels in the shadow fleet.
According to the document, the shadow fleet poses not only a geopolitical challenge but also a significant security and environmental risk. Many of the vessels are old, poorly maintained, and fail to meet international standards.
The document further states that some vessels have allegedly been used for sabotage or espionage activities.
Jürgen Hardt said that Russia's shadow fleet threatens both the effectiveness of sanctions and the security of Europe and its critical infrastructure, and he called for a coordinated response.
Meanwhile, Anton Hofreiter of the Greens stressed that the fleet provides Moscow with a steady flow of revenue used to finance the war against Ukraine and constitutes a security threat to Europe.
Russia has relied on a shadow fleet to circumvent sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine, particularly restrictions on oil exports.
As Ukrinform previously reported, the United Kingdom introduced a new large-scale sanctions package on June 16 targeting Russia's shadow fleet, LNG tankers, and financial networks used to evade Western sanctions.
