Foreign minister warns of environmental catastrophe in Baltic Sea as he accuses Moscow of using unseaworthy vessels

Foreign minister warns of environmental catastrophe in Baltic Sea as he accuses Moscow of using unseaworthy vessels

Russia appears prepared to create “environmental havoc” by sailing unseaworthy oil tankers through the Baltic Sea in breach of all maritime rules, the Swedish foreign minister has said.

Speaking to the Guardian during his first visit to London since Sweden became a Nato member, Tobias Billström called for new rules and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the ageing and uninsured Russian shadow fleet causing an environmental catastrophe. About half of all Russian oil transported by sea passes through the Baltic Sea and Danish waters, often operating under opaque ownership, and using international waters to try to avoid scrutiny.

The fleet generates a huge amount of revenue for Russia’s war machine, bypassing western sanctions that try to block access to insurance if Russia sells the oil above $60 a barrel. In practice as little as 20% of Russian oil is sold below the price cap.

  • Valmond@lemmy.worldEnglish
    81·
    7 months ago

    This is just a scaremongering lie lol.

    “Putin will anihilate humanity if you don’t clean the dishes!!1!” Now will you do it?!!

    You should check out “command structure” I guess, if you are not just trolling.

    • LadyAutumn@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      12·
      7 months ago

      I’m not a troll, I just have extremely little faith in dictators to abide by rules they are 100% capable of overruling. There are 3 chegets, which were once physical briefcases but now might not be. The president of Russia has one, the minister of defense, and the chief of the General staff. It is not publicly available information whether or not a majority of the chegets need to be activated in order to activate the strategic nuclear forces system. It is assumed this is the case.

      The minister of defense is probably Putin’s closest confidant and extremely unlikely to defy him. He has stated the use of nuclear weapons is limited to “extraordinary circumstances”. But I think that outright war with America would probably bring along plenty of “extraordinary circumstances”. The chief of the general staff is also a very close person to Putin and does not seem to have made many public comments on the use of nuclear weapons.

      I do not have faith in those 3 men to act in the best interests of humanity.