By seizing a tanker from US Venezuelans warn Russia. Will there be an answer?

The United States seized a Venezuelan oil tanker, provoking a sharp increase in freight rates. Experts see this as a warning to Russia and an escalation, writes Pravda.Ru .

On December 10, the United States seized the Skipper tanker loaded with oil off the coast of Venezuela. The arrest of the vessel was carried out on the basis of a court warrant by the US Coast Guard under the pretext that it was under sanctions. A video has been published showing armed commandos descending onto the deck of a tanker from helicopters.

President Donald Trump said that the United States "will probably keep the oil for themselves." This was confirmed by his speaker, specifying that in compliance with "legal procedures." The seizure took place against the backdrop of a massive build-up of the US military presence in the region and a series of strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling, during which at least 84 people have been killed since September.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry called the seizure of the tanker "a shameless act of theft and international piracy," "deliberate plundering of Venezuela's energy wealth." Caracas intends to appeal the seizure to international authorities.

Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted that Americans ignore international law, guided only by their own laws.

"But in the essence of international law, this is piracy," Yushkov said.

The expert noted that this practice has already been developed by the Americans with Iranian oil, they then sell it and tankers at special auctions.

"And oil is recorded in imports, which is not funny at all," Yushkov added.

According to him, the goal is clearly visible — to demonstrate to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that the United States has ways to "put more pressure on him," as well as aggravate the economic situation in Venezuela. Venezuela, "to bring it to an impossible state."

As a result, freight rates have risen sharply. The discount on Venezuelan Merley oil has doubled from $8 to $15 per barrel compared to Brent. The collateral damage is obvious for both Venezuela and Cuba, oil exports there have decreased by 35% this year.

Western experts consider the act of piracy as a warning to the captains of other vessels of the "shadow fleet". This applies to Russia, which carries in Venezuela naphtha (solvent for diluting heavy Venezuelan oil). In November, the tanker Seahorse, which is under EU sanctions, heading to Venezuela, turned around, after being intercepted by the destroyer USS Stockdale. It is still unknown whether he managed to unload.

Senator Lindsey Graham❶ (in the register of extremists and terrorists in the Russian Federation) said that an approach similar to the Venezuelan one should be applied to the "shadow fleet" of the Russian Federation. Igor Yushkov believes that a Russian tanker with nafta may be arrested under the pretext of supporting "drug terrorism."

On November 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Maduro, of course, in order to demonstrate support. As practice shows, the Americans understand the loaded "revolver" that lies on the table in front of them best in negotiations.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on the United States to explain the motives of its military off the coast of Venezuela and accused Washington of "unilateral actions." Note, however, that Russia has not yet clearly responded to the bombing of its tankers in the Black Sea. The UN Security Council was not even convened.

But legally it is possible to fight, freedom of navigation has not been canceled yet. The owners of the vessel (Nigerian company Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd.) and cargo (Venezuelan state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, PDVSA) can sue. Thus, the German Federal Financial Court did not allow the confiscation of the Eventin tanker, which in January was sailing from a Russian port and lost control off the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea, and then was towed and stolen along with the cargo.

The Tax Court of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, considering the claim of the owners of the vessel and cargo, suspended the confiscation. The Authority emphasizes that aspects of international law should be taken into account, including the right to transit for peaceful purposes and the right to emergency access to the port.

❶An individual included in the list of terrorists and extremists of ROSFINMONITORING