Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Ahead of Peace Talks
Ukrainian forces have carried out an audacious attack on a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, as Kyiv seeks to open up a new front in the war ahead of peace talks this weekend in Miami. The SBU, Ukraine‘s security service, said the vessel, the Qendil, suffered critical damage when it was hit by an aerial drone strike more than 2,000 kilometres (1,243 miles) from Ukraine.
Unconfirmed reports claimed the Russian intelligence chief who oversaw the Salisbury poisonings was on board the ship at the time the tanker was struck and was killed. Details of the attack, the first time Ukraine has struck a Russian-controlled tanker in the Mediterranean, broke as President Putin was speaking at his annual press conference in Moscow.
International Response to Attack
The attack has sparked a mixed reaction from international leaders. European leaders have agreed to unlock €90 billion in loans for Ukraine borrowed against the EU’s budget, after a proposal to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets collapsed. The agreement is designed to provide a financial lifeline to Kyiv, which is facing a €115 billion budget shortfall over the next two years if the conflict continues.
Meanwhile, President Putin has warned that a “response from our country will follow” and expressed willingness to engage with US-led peace talks, saying there are “certain signals, including from the Kyiv regime, that they are ready to engage in some kind of dialogue”. However, he also insisted it would not disrupt Russian oil exports.
Peace Talks Ahead
Russian negotiators are due to meet President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, for talks in Miami this weekend. Jonathan Powell, Britain’s national security adviser, was joined by his European counterparts and Ukrainian negotiators in Miami for talks with Witkoff and Kushner as the Americans attempt to bridge significant gaps between the sides on a twenty-point peace plan that is being circulated.
Ahead of the talks, the head of Kyiv’s delegation, Rustem Umerov, said they were committed to a “constructive process” and would report back to President Zelensky. On Friday, a White House official said Witkoff and Kushner “are meeting with Secretary Umerov, as well as national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany”. Those talks concluded on Friday night.
Outlook for Peace Talks
The move comes as European leaders agreed to unlock €90 billion in loans for Ukraine borrowed against the EU’s budget. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement to end the war. “There’s no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it,” Rubio told a news conference in Washington.
“This whole narrative that we’re trying to force something on Ukraine is silly,” he said. “We can’t force Ukraine to make a deal. We can’t force Russia to make a deal. They have to want to make a deal.” The agreement represents a climbdown by Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, who had championed using Russian assets rather than borrowing against the EU’s balance sheet.
Conclusion
The attack on the Russian “shadow fleet” tanker has raised tensions ahead of peace talks in Miami. While President Putin has expressed willingness to engage with US-led peace talks, it remains to be seen whether Ukraine will agree to a deal. The international community is watching closely as the situation unfolds.
Original Article: Ukraine strikes Russian shadow fleet tanker ahead of peace talks — Thetimes