> Panting a Russian flag on the side of a crappy tanker is enough to get the US to back off
Has the White House rolled over?
Has the White House rolled over?
So you really need to tread lightly around enemy oil tankers.
Which is why you sink them empty. Ukraine has been doing this for months now.
So yes… I think.
I wouldn't be suprised if Trump chickens out. But this logic is terrible.
The same pursuit that has been happening for days continues to happen. That the pattern has not changed in reaction to new stimulus isn't proof that the stimulus worked.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/us/politics/russia-oil-ta...
Yes. I am aware. Flags are being painted, registries updated and sternely-worded letters sent. The ship sails on. So do its pursuers.
> It’s going to be hard to duck this one
It really shouldn't be.
Just board the ship. Putin makes noises about international law. A D.C. lawyer insists that no, the vessel was stateless when found. And assuming there isn't like fissile material or a senior IRGC liaison on board, everyone grumbles and moves on.
Trump and Putin have a complicated relationship. But about the single thing that this will not depend on will be what maritime law says the U.S. should do. (And I think the legal arguments for seizure are on America's side on this one.)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/583459/us-seizes-venezuela-...