Die Welt columnist Daniel Wetzel says Greece is helping to circumvent the sanctions of the Russian Federation.
The Die Welt columnist noted that tankers carrying Russian oil continued to call at European ports despite the ban. Notably, in early April the EU introduced the fifth package of anti-Russian sanctions with an entry ban on Russian-flagged vessels to EU ports. Exemptions apply for medical, food, and energy, amongst others.
Wetzel stressed that some countries were not complying with these restrictions. He notes that oil shipments of the Russian energy transnational corporations Rosneft and Lukoil continue to be formalized through European ports.
According to the journalist, Greece is now helping to bypass the Russian ban. The country has the largest tanker fleet in the world, and local shipowners are ready to cooperate with Russia. In late April, the supertanker Nissos Rhenia took on board Russian oil in the port of Rotterdam and headed for Singapore. According to Die Welt, Greece opposes an oil embargo against Russia. The measure is to be part of the sixth package of anti-Russian sanctions.
The number of shipments to India, China, and South Korea has also increased. According to Lloyd's reports, 190 tankers departed the ports of Primorsk, St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, and Novorossiysk in April. About 76 of them were Greek-flagged. Notably, the country has tripled its share in Russian oil transportation this year.
