UK finance minister calls for tighter Russian shipping sanctions

British finance minister John Healey called on other nations to tighten sanctions on Russia-linked shipping, as he prepared to meet his foreign counterparts at the International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Bangkok on Thursday.
“My message to finance ministers here today … on Ukraine, is to stay the path on tough economic sanctions on Russia, especially a tighter ban on shipping services … that help (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s sanctions-busting shadow fleet to operate,” he said.
Britain has imposed a series of sanctions on shipping and related services that it believes Russia uses to fund and equip its war on Ukraine.
However, a US official on Wednesday said the Trump administration is considering easing sanctions on so-called shadow fleet vessels that have transported oil and petroleum products from countries including Russia, Iran and Venezuela, in an effort to reduce record-high global freight rates.