Starmer made it clear at the JEF summit in Helsinki that British authorities and the military will now intervene and stop ships from the shadow fleet if they pass through British waters, adding that many of the ships are floating hazards and potential environmental disasters.
Some, not least in Ukraine, may think that the move to take tougher action against ships that "work illegally" for Russian interests comes a little late. Russia's war against Ukraine is in its fifth year.
Forward leaning posture
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) is, in addition to Starmer, one of the ten JEF countries' representatives at the summit, but claims that the rhetoric has been translated into practical action.
"Within the framework of what is legally possible, we will have a maximally forward-leaning stance. That is how I think the British should be interpreted as well," says Kristersson.
Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy point to Finland, Sweden, Estonia and France as good examples of interventions against vessels suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. In Helsinki, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten says that authorities there should increase efforts.
In swing
The oil and gas market is in turmoil, but we must not let Russia take advantage of it, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video greeting to the JEF meeting.
Perhaps Russian President Putin is not just rubbing his hands now, despite sharply increased oil prices due to the US and Israel's conflict with Iran.
According to Reuters, Russia has lost up to 40 percent of its export capacity due to Ukrainian attacks on refineries and shipping ports, including in Primorsk and Ust-Luga, near the Finnish and Estonian borders in the Gulf of Finland. And the pipeline that carries Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia is broken, while ships carrying Russian oil have been stopped in several cases. Ukraine has partner status with the JEF.
Ulf Kristersson claims that the Baltic Sea has perhaps never in modern times been more challenged than today.
On the other hand, the Baltic Sea has perhaps never been more protected than it is today, surrounded by NATO countries that cooperate in a way we have never been able to do before, says Kristersson.
Corrected: In a previous version there was an incorrect wording about Russia's export capacity.
Facts: JEF
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a collaboration for rapid military operations in Northern Europe, as a complement to the NATO defense alliance.
It was founded in 2014–2015 with seven member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Finland and Sweden joined, followed by Iceland in 2021.
The summit in Helsinki will be attended by Prime Ministers Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway), Kristen Michal (Estonia), Evika Siliņa (Latvia), Keir Starmer (United Kingdom), Kristrún Frostadóttir (Iceland), Rob Jetten (Netherlands) and Sweden's Ulf Kristersson, as well as Presidents Alexander Stubb (Finland) and Gitanas Nausėda (Lithuania).
In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will participate via video link. Denmark is represented by Anders Tang Friborg, foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
