The United States vetoed a Group of Seven (G7) proposal to establish a joint task force that would tackle sanctions evasion related to Russia's 'shadow fleet,' Bloomberg reported on March 8.
The move aligns with the Trump administration's efforts to soften its stance on Russia in international institutions as well as in joint statements.
Trump, who has called on both Russia and Ukraine to make concessions to end the war, has repeated Kremlin narratives ahead of formalized peace negotiations.
The shadow fleet refers to aging and largely uninsured oil tankers that Russia uses to transport oil above the $60 per barrel price cap that the EU, the U.S., and G7 countries imposed in December 2022 as part of the effort to cut Moscow's fossil fuels revenue.
In recent months, shadow fleet vessels have been suspected of sabotage operations in the Baltic Sea, causing major damage to undersea cables.
In addition to vetoing the task force, the United States has sought to ease rhetoric used towards Russia, pushing, in a joint G7 draft statement, to remove the word "sanctions," as well as citing Russia’s "ability to maintain its war" in Ukraine by replacing it with "earn revenue," Bloomberg reported.
The final joint statement has not been finalized ahead of next week's G7 meeting in Canada and is subject to change.
The wording in the G7 statement aligns with previous moves by the U.S. at international institutions. On Feb. 24, the day of the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, the U.S. voted against a resolution at the UN General Assembly condemning Russia's full-scale invasion, with 93 countries voting in favor and 18 against.
The General Assembly later passed a separate U.S. resolution marking the third anniversary of the invasion. That resolution also received 93 votes in favor but avoided directly calling Russia the aggressor.
A few days later, the United States abstained from signing a statement by members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) condemning Russian aggression on Feb. 26, breaking from its Western allies.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
