Several countries remain cautious due to 'fears of escalation.'
At the Munich Security Conference, a meeting took place at the level of defense ministers of the Combined Expeditionary Forces — a coalition of Northern European countries led by the United Kingdom, operating in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic. During the negotiations, Chief of the British Armed Forces Richard Knighton presented various options for actions regarding vessels associated with Russia's 'shadow' fleet, including joint operations to seize them, Bloomberg sources reported. This would allow Europeans to build on the success of the United States in intercepting tankers heading to and from Venezuela.
According to one of the agency's sources, in the implementation of a possible operation to seize 'shadow' vessels led by London, Europe will likely coordinate its actions with the United States. At the same time, recent attacks on tankers carrying Russian crude have raised concerns in Moscow, and Kremlin representatives privately demanded that the U.S. stop such actions, the source said. Previously, U.S. forces had already seized at least nine tankers linked to Russia.
The meeting of the leaders of the Combined Expeditionary Forces took place in an 'atmosphere of mutual understanding,' said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur. According to him, it was clear to the participants that 'more proactive action is needed.' 'Countries that provide flags to the vessels of the 'shadow' fleet should know that other countries may take certain measures,' he articulated the message from the Europeans. Meanwhile, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that some coalition members remain cautious due to 'fears of escalation.'
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iXny0WsEdRE?si=Q_VrSGxbyZd61ndw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>In January 2026, 14 European countries warned that they intend to hinder the activities of the 'shadow' fleet tankers in the Baltic and North Seas. As stated in a joint statement published by the UK Department for Transport, vessels can only sail under the flag of one state and must have valid documents confirming the safety of their operation and insurance. Otherwise, the military of the signatory countries will intercept the violating vessels for inspection.
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