**US Vetoes G7 Proposal to Target Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”**
The United States has blocked a proposal from the Group of Seven (G7) countries to create a joint task force aimed at tackling sanctions evasion related to Russia’s “shadow fleet”. This move aligns with the Trump administration‘s efforts to soften its stance on Russia.
Russia uses aging oil tankers, known as the “shadow fleet”, to transport oil above the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by the EU and US. The shadow fleet has been linked to sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea, causing damage to undersea cables.
In addition to vetoing the task force, the US has also sought to ease rhetoric used towards Russia. In a joint G7 draft statement, the word “sanctions” was removed, and Russia’s ability to maintain its war in Ukraine was replaced with “earn revenue”.
The wording in the G7 statement is subject to change ahead of next week’s meeting in Canada. This move aligns with previous US actions at international institutions, including voting against a UN resolution condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A separate US resolution marking the third anniversary of the invasion received 93 votes in favor but avoided directly calling Russia the aggressor. The US also abstained from signing a statement by members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) condemning Russian aggression.
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