US can disrupt Russian oil traffic in the Baltic Sea without sanctions — Klymenko

Washington has real naval tools capable of paralyzing the transportation of Russian oil, even without new sanctions or tariffs.

The US president can create serious obstacles to Russian maritime oil exports without introducing formal economic restrictions. This was stated by Andrey Klymenko, project manager of the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies.

The expert believes that it is enough to strengthen the military presence in the Baltic Sea to stop and turn away Russian tankers even on the approach to EU ports.

Yes, sooner or later the Baltic countries and Poland will be forced to physically restrict the movement of Russian ships, because there are more than enough legal grounds for inspections or detentions – from the environmental risks of the “shadow fleet” to international safety standards. But without the support of the US and NATO, this scenario threatens a direct conflict with the Russian Baltic Fleet.

A small but powerful group of US ships equipped with modern missile systems can solve the problem. For example, one Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer can carry up to 96 missiles, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, and a Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser can carry up to 122 missiles.

“Russian frigates with eight Calibers will simply cease to be a factor in the game if such ships appear,” the analyst noted.

Even without directly blocking oil traffic, the simple presence of the United States in the Baltic Sea will reduce the willingness of shipowners and insurers to risk entering the conflict zone, which will automatically reduce the Kremlin’s income. Such a scenario does not require the approval of new sanctions or tariffs, and its effect may be stronger than any economic measures.

The day before, USM wrote that Russia had demonstrably commissioned a new nuclear submarine, despite economic problems.