Russia’s Baltic Leader vessel affected by US sanctions was detained in the English Channel. According to France Presse, it was directed to a port in Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The Russian embassy has confirmed the detention of the Russian cargo ship without specifying its name and is expecting explanations on the matter from the French side. "The embassy received an emergency phone call from the captain of the Russian freighter, he said the vessel was detained by French authorities in the English Channel. The embassy’s consular department immediately contacted the French authorities to obtain explanations on this matter. There will be additional reports on the results," spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Paris Alexander Makogonov told a TASS correspondent.
According to France Presse, the vessel was detained by France’s customs service and maritime gendarmerie. The freighter sailing under the Russian flag was carrying a cargo of new automobiles. The Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea specified that this move could be related to the fact that the ship "may be related to Russian interests subject to sanctions." The prefecture also noted that this is a rare measure.
According to vessel tracking services, the freighter left Rouen and is now in Boulogne-sur-Mer. It belongs to a subsidiary of Promsvyazbank which had been sanctioned by the US; starting on April 12, restrictions on the part of the EU against it will also come into effect.
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Russia will respond in a tit-for-tat manner to any foreign moves to seize Russian business and private assets abroad, Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitri Medvedev has indicated.
ReplyDelete“They are also threatening to seize the money of Russian citizens and Russian companies abroad. Simply everyone, without any sanctions, out of spite. This will have to be responded to in a symmetric manner, through the arrest of the funds of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia, according to a country-by-country principle. And perhaps through the nationalization of the property of those persons/entities which are registered in unfriendly jurisdictions, like the USA, the EU and other ‘singing’ nations of the Anglo-Saxon world that will take part in all of this,” Medvedev wrote in a post on his VKontakte page.
DeleteMedvedev wrote that Russia already has a “rich experience” in this area, and a “strict” law on this subject ready to be implemented. “So the fun is just beginning,” he quipped.
SPUTNIK