Tag: Sanctions
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UNSC Report: Maltese Court violated sanctions by handing Mutassim Gaddafi’s assets to Libya
The UNSC report on oil smuggling in Libya has stated that legally, a Maltese Court has violated sanctions when it released the assets of Mutassim Gaddafi in Malta to the Libyan government of Tripoli. Mutassim Gaddafi held up to $100 million in a company based in Malta called Capital Resources Limited Malta with its bank…
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A United Nations Security Council investigation finds Hurd’s Bank to be a highly active area for oil trafficking
According to a recent investigation by the United Nations Security Council, Hurd’s Bank is being regularly used to sell trafficked oil, via ship-to-ship transfers. Large quantities of this oil are coming from Libya where oil smuggling is still extensive. Eastern Libya and Benghazi is also being used to bunker oil bought from Hurd’s Bank. Russian…
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EU Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen supports the International Criminal Court despite US sanctions
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has defended the International Criminal Court and stood by its mission after it was hit with sanctions through an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump. The executive order, which can be read here, includes sanctions against anyone who funds the International Criminal Court. Sanctions are imposed on…
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Austria: Russia’s quiet friend in the heart of Europe
Austria has reaped great dividends during Russia’s war on Ukraine by historically having a good relationship with Vladimir Putin. Austria has been allowed an exception by the EU to keep buying gas from Gazprom as of very recently and the biggest Western bank operating in Russia right now is Austrian. Raiffeisen Bank is now having…
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EU High Representative Kaja Kallas evasive on Kurdish issue, but supports Turkey
In an interview with TRT Editor, Yusuf Erim, the EU’s High Representative Kaja Kallas was evasive when asked about the Kurdish issue in Syria. The Kurdish armed forces, the SDF are locked in a disagreement with the Syrian government over their future autonomy. Yusuf Erim, who works as an editor at the Turkish public broadcaster…
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The latest sabotage attack against Europe’s undersea cables puts the Russian shadow fleet under renewed spotlight
Once again, Malta is facing scrutiny by the EU over its registration of ships that are suspected to form part of Russia’s shadow fleet which is selling oil against current sanctions. The ships involved in the sabotage attack attack on a Latvian fiber-optic cable connected to Sweden are bulk carriers but are flagged in Malta.…
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EU Foreign Ministers decide to start easing sanctions on Syria
In a sudden shift in its policy on Syria, the EU has initiated a process to begin lifting sanctions on the country. The decision was taken yesterday at the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council. Previously, German and French Foreign Ministers travelled to Damascus to tell the new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa that the EU was not…
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Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs urges Europe to lift sanctions on Syria
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs is urging European states to lift their sanctions on Syria. Foreign Affairs Minister Espen Barth Eide said that sanctions on Syria were imposed against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and now that he has left, the sanctions should no longer remain in…
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Syria is more isolated now than it was under Bashar al-Assad
Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares travelled to Syria and met with Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The Spanish Minister inaugurated the opening of the Spanish embassy and posed for pictures in Sednaya Prison. Despite these photo opportunities by foreign dignitaries, which are mostly meant for public consumption, Syria remains diplomatically even more isolated…
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German and French Foreign Ministers travel to Damascus to tell the Syrian leader that they won’t be lifting sanctions on Syria
Yesterday, the French and German Foreign Ministers met with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in what was the first meeting with the Syrian leadership and EU foreign ministers. German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock and French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met the Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and told him that Germany and France…
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Germany is still a major exporter to Russia
When discussing Germany’s small but significant military aid to Ukraine, it is important to compare it with its exports to Russia – exports that are also contributing to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Germany is literally profiting from Putin’s war on Ukraine. Although Germany has halted directed exports to Russia, Russian companies are still importing German…
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Malta suspected of trading Russian oil outside of its waters
Ship-to-shop oil transfers outside Maltese waters have spiked up following a crackdown by Greek authorities that pushed out Russian oil ship-to-sip transfers outside of its waters. Following the crackdown by Greece, the ship-to-ship oil statistics have been transferred to Malta. See the chart in this article. Lately, I have recieved several reports of irregular oil…