Russia calls seizure of its tanker is piracy of the 21st century

Russia has accused the United States of engaging in outright "piracy” after the United States forces boarded and seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean. Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, has accused the US of violating maritime law and termed it 21st-century piracy by the Anglo-Saxons. Stutsky further added that sanctions can not be a justification for the seizure of a vessel.

The Russian Transport Ministry said, "In accordance with the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."

US European Command, in a statement, said that it intercepted The Marinera, originally known as the Bella-1, linked to Venezuela and captured its crews. Russia has urged the United States to treat the captured crew member with humanity and foster their speedy return to their homeland.

The US Southern Command called the seized vessel “a stateless, sanctioned tanker" which was “conducting illicit activities”. As of now, the US have seized four Venezuela-linked vessels. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the Trump administration will continue to enforce the embargo against all "shadow fleet" vessels, which, according to the US, engage in the illegal transportation of oil.

The sanctions were part of the pressure campaigns that were put in place by the Trump administration against the Nicolas Maduro government in Venezuela, which later led to the culmination of the US attack in Venezuela and abduction of Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores. However, the United States have failed to provide a consistent narrative to justify its campaign from the war on drugs to tackle Russia and Chinese influence in its backyard, and free the Venezuelan people from the Maduro regime.