The US Coast Guard’s seizure of the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker off the coast of northern Britain raises a host of questions.
Was it legal? If not, what stress does it put on the already strained US-UK relationship, with Britain providing airbases to help track down the vessel?
And will it raise tensions with Moscow, at a time when US President Donald Trump is trying to get President Vladimir Putin’s acquiescence to a Ukraine peace deal?
Oil tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1. AFP
The Marinera (or Bella 1 as it then was), slipped anchorage off Venezuela on December 20 after refusing the initial US Coast Guard boarding request.
A lot has happened since then, with the US apprehending Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro before seizing a ship registered to its old foe, Russia.
But there is a suggestion, according to former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe, of some “back-channel” between Washington and Moscow before the boarding.
The Marinera appeared to turn into the wind, allowing the helicopter to deploy, which suggests that the vessel was a “compliant”, Mr Sharpe added.
A US helicopter above the Marinera.
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