Russia asked the US to stop pursuing the tanker

The Russian government has formally asked the United States to stop pursuing the tanker, which was heading to Venezuela and is currently fleeing from the Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, the American New York Times reported on Thursday.

The Russian request was delivered late Wednesday evening to the State Department, said the people, who agreed to speak to the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

The dispute over the tanker coincided with President Donald Trump's attempts to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, the daily recalled, adding that at the beginning of the week, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the leaders expressed optimism about the end of the war, even though they apparently made little progress on the sensitive issues of security guarantees and the exchange of territories. Russia's demand that the US stop pursuing the ship may add new meaning to the negotiations, the daily said.

American forces have been tracking the Bella 1 tanker for almost two weeks. The ship left Iran for oil to Venezuela. The US Coast Guard attempted to intercept Bella 1, but the crew did not comply with orders and changed course.

The ship has since tried to claim Russia's protection, with its crew painting a Russian flag on its side and radioing the Coast Guard that it was sailing under Russian supervision. Bella 1 recently appeared in the official Russian ship register under a new name – Marinera – with its home port in Sochi on the Black Sea.

The White House declined to comment on the matter. However, a US official said the Trump administration still considers the tanker “stateless” because it was flying under a false flag.

Although obtaining Russian protection for the Bella 1 may be unlikely under international law, Russian diplomatic intervention could complicate a U.S. attempt to seize the tanker amid the ongoing conflict with Venezuela.

Trump imposed a quasi-blockade on some tankers transporting crude oil from Venezuela in an attempt to put pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro. Oil exports, mainly to China, keep the Venezuelan economy afloat, the daily recalled. So far, the United States has seized two other oil tankers in the Caribbean, and U.S. officials have announced plans to seize additional ships. (PAP)

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