A US official said Wednesday that the administration of President Donald Trump is considering easing sanctions on vessels belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet” that transport oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran and Venezuela, in an effort to reduce sharply higher global shipping costs.
The discussions come days after Trump decided to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, a move that drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European countries and Republican members of the US Senate.
Zelenskiy and US senators described the move as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that it could provide Moscow with additional funds to continue its war in Ukraine.
The US official said the discussions are focused on potentially allowing “legitimate oil” to be transported aboard vessels that were previously subject to sanctions, referring to shipments of crude oil and petroleum products that are not covered by US sanctions, rather than sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil.
The official added that the goal is to increase the volume of crude oil and refined petroleum products transported from the Gulf region.
The term “shadow fleet” refers to ships and oil tankers used by countries under international sanctions, including Russia and Iran, to transport oil and petroleum products through practices such as changing flags and concealing ownership, with the aim of circumventing restrictions on their exports.
Source: Reuters
