The US rejected Canada’s proposal to establish a task force that tackles Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” according to a report last night.
Canada, which has a current group of seven presidencies, proposed the measure ahead of a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Quebec later this week.
In negotiations to agree to the joint statement on maritime affairs, the US is pushing to strengthen its language about China, while watering down the language in Russia, the report says.
“Shadow Fleet” refers to an aging oil tanker hidden in order to avoid Western economic sanctions imposed on Moscow since the start of full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
In addition to rejecting Canada’s proposal to establish a task force to monitor sanctions violations, the draft G7 statement seen by Bloomberg News shows that the US is pushing to remove the word “sanctions” and cites Russia’s “ability to maintain war” in Ukraine to “earn income.”
The G7 Communique will not be final until it is published through consensus. Further consultations could lead to changes in the statements of local statements.
A US diplomat explained to his G7 counterpart that the move was due to the “reevaluation of its position in multilateral organizations, not being able to participate in new initiatives.”
European countries are debating plans that could implement seizures in Moscow’s oil export tanker in the Baltic Sea.
The proposals include using international law to allow the vessel to be controlled on the basis of environmental or copyright infringement.
