Alexey Gromov, Principal Director on Energy studies at the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to Novye Izvestia on the European countries initiative to possibly impose restrictions on the free passage of Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea.
Alexey Gromov calls the latest discussions a "wake-up call":
"In this context, Russia will not bend to the next initiatives of the Europeans, because they go beyond their jurisdiction. If these initiatives become legally binding, it will be a direct violation of navigation freedom and may become a casus belli, a radical aggravation of Russia's relations with EU countries, up to an open military confrontation, because this will mean that countries will physically restrict the export of Russian oil, no matter for what reasons. This is not just Russian legislation, but international norms that ensure freedom of navigation through the Danish Straits and through the Gulf of Finland. There may be unpredictable consequences," the expert believes.
Subscribe for updates
and be the first to know about new publications