Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on European nations to intensify economic pressure on Russia by enacting laws that would allow the seizure of Russian oil and restrict the movement of vessels linked to its so-called “shadow fleet.”
In a video address to leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) meeting in Helsinki on Thursday, Zelensky urged a coordinated legal and enforcement framework across Europe to counter Moscow’s attempts to evade sanctions imposed since the outbreak of the war in 2022.
“We need joint action to create strong laws in Europe that allow countries to block Russian tankers and confiscate the oil,” Zelensky said.
The JEF, a United Kingdom-led alliance comprising 10 Northern European countries, has emerged as a key platform for security cooperation in the region, particularly in response to Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
Zelensky stressed that targeting the shadow fleet—widely believed to be facilitating Russia’s oil exports outside formal sanction regimes—would significantly weaken Moscow’s leverage over Europe.
“This should be a real tool to take away Russia’s ability to pressure Europe,” he said.
“Please also help others in Europe move these decisions forward and implement them at home,” he said.
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The Ukrainian leader also commended recent enforcement actions taken by some European countries, singling out Denmark, Sweden and France for intercepting vessels suspected to be part of the network.
Their actions were “a clear demonstration that enforcement is not only possible but effective,” he said.
Russia’s shadow fleet is believed to consist of hundreds of ageing oil tankers operating under opaque ownership structures, often without proper insurance, and used to bypass Western sanctions following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Recent developments highlight growing European resolve to clamp down on the network. The French navy reportedly seized a third suspected shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean last week, while Swedish authorities detained the Sea Owl I in mid-March and arrested its captain over alleged document falsification and maritime violations.
In a further escalation, the British government announced on Wednesday that its military would be empowered to board and seize sanctioned vessels linked to the shadow fleet if they enter UK territorial waters.
Currently, about 598 ships believed to be part of the network are under European Union sanctions, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing enforcement agencies.
Zelensky’s latest appeal signals Kyiv’s push for a more aggressive and unified European response, as it seeks to tighten the economic noose on Moscow and limit its capacity to sustain the war effort.
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