White House says crew of seized tanker carrying Russians may face prosecution in US
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt has suggested that the crew of the detained tanker Bella 1 (Marinera), which had Russians on board, may be subject to prosecution in the United States for violating sanctions policy.
Source: The Guardian, citing Leavitt, speaking to journalists on Wednesday 7 January, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Leavitt said the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker "shows the USA is not going to tolerate" sanctions violations.
She added that the ship's crew could also be held to account and brought to the US to face trial.
Moscow has urged the US to release the crew and to treat the Russian citizens humanely.
Quote: "This administration is going to fully enforce the sanctions policy."
Background:
- Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised the United States and President Donald Trump for "resolute leadership" after the US detained the tanker Bella 1 (Marinera) in the Atlantic Ocean.
- US forces took control of two tankers on 7 January, including a Russian-flagged vessel that they had pursued for more than two weeks. The vessels are accused of breaching sanctions.
- The White House said that Trump is "not afraid" to continue detaining sanctioned oil tankers despite concerns that this could increase tensions with Russia.
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