France says it has seized an oil tanker in the Mediterranean suspected of being part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the tanker, named the Grinch, was “subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag”.

The French navy, with the assistance of allies including the UK, boarded the vessel on Thursday morning between Spain and Morocco. French maritime authorities said that a search of the vessel had “confirmed the doubts as to the regularity of the flag”.

Russia’s embassy in Paris said it had not been informed of the seizure.

  • NateNate60@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    When the US did this, everyone was quick to call it piracy. Which, to be fair, it practically was, although I can’t say I have any sympathy for Putin.

    • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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      2 hours ago

      I wrote this on another post, but copying it here because it’s same shit, different user (or is it?)

      Yeah you’re leaving about a tonne of relevant details and context out.

      Like that I too can make idiotic assertions.

      Ukraine bombed Russian oil refineries! How could they, they’re so evil, can you imagine them attacking European infrastructure?

      See what I did there? I left out the little tid bit of Russia being a cruel dictatorship supported by oligarchs who invaded Ukraine for bullshit reasons and has committed genocide multiple times now, which is the reason for Ukraine fighting back.

      Now you do you. Look at what you wrote and point out the list of issues that explains all you wrote, but that you conveniently left out.

      Illt wait

    • mcv@lemmy.zip
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      15 hours ago

      There’s a difference between seizing oil tankers because you want their oil, and seizing them because they’re funding an illegal and needlessly destructive war. The first is as explicitly piracy as you can get, the second might be justifiable as sanctions, though definitely in a grey area that most countries would have preferred to stay out of.

      But I’m all for seizing the entire shadow fleet and sending the profits to Ukraine.

        • skozzii@lemmy.ca
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          4 hours ago

          There are literally dozens upon dozens of treaties and agreements signed by Russia which they are breaking. It’s fair no matter how you try to spin it in your own head.

          • ☂️-@lemmy.ml
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            4 hours ago

            you mean the ones western bureaucrats are openly saying don’t hold anymore?

        • mcv@lemmy.zip
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          6 hours ago

          Do you enjoy submitting to bullies?

          It’s Russia that threw the rules out of the window. The EU and Ukraine have been the most rules abiding powers here. The only ones, arguably. It’s hamstringing them, and en helping the aggressor that doesn’t respect any rules. Sometimes you just have to hit back. And this is still very mild.

          • ☂️-@lemmy.ml
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            4 hours ago

            the US is the biggest bully in the world for some decades now.

            i don’t enjoy getting bombed and regime changed by the us, no.

            • mcv@lemmy.zip
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              14 minutes ago

              I can’t help but notice you’re very careful not to say anything negative about Russia, despite their illegal invasion, their war crimes and their utterly brutal and inhuman tactics.