Zelenskyy: Macron said he would be forced to release a tanker from the Russian shadow fleet
30.01.2026 - 13:50
French President Emmanuel Macron explained to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would be forced to release the detained tanker of the Russian “shadow fleet”.
Zelenskyy said this at a meeting with journalists in Kyiv, reports “European Pravda”.
The President of Ukraine thanked his French colleague for the detention of the sanctioned tanker Grinch. Macron told Zelensky that he plans to change French legislation so that detained tankers remain detained in the country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on other European countries to follow France’s example and detain and arrest tankers of the “shadow fleet”.
“This is a question for all states. At least for the northern, maritime states that have influence on this. That is, tankers with Russian oil must be stopped, and so that you can keep it, and not stop it for a while and release it. That is, there is a movement towards such solutions, and it will definitely become more difficult for the Russians,” he commented.
Zelenskyy stressed that the seizure of tankers of the Russian “shadow fleet” is one of the tools that will speed up the end of the war.
As a reminder, on Thursday, January 22, the French Navy arrested a tanker bound for Russia and subject to international sanctions.
Later, the captain of the detained tanker Grinch was taken into custody, but was eventually released. The vessel currently remains at anchor near Marseille under the protection of the Navy, and the investigation is ongoing.
