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In a dramatic development the United States has seized the oil tanker on the run for several days now but on a changed name with a newly painted Russian flag. The sanctioned ship has apparently no oil in its hold but first reports say that Moscow had already dispatched its naval forces including a submarine by way of protecting its interests.
According to those tracking the movement of vessels, the seized tanker which was supposedly heading in the direction of the Russian arctic has made a turnaround indicating some sort of ongoing operations in the north Atlantic.
On a smaller scale, a second tanker ostensibly operating under mysterious circumstances has also been intercepted and boarded in the Caribbean. The vessel, M/T Sophia has been dubbed as a “stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker” and is being escorted by the Coast Guard to the United States.
There are many ways to look at the ongoing drama in the high seas over and above the heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow and in the implications to the ongoing talks on ending the Ukraine war. Some argue that the current action of the United States is justified as it pertains to seizing a sanctioned vessel; the only major complication is that the vessel that was being chased had changed its name and took on a new flag, presenting itself as Russian. For Moscow to send its military would seem to indicate that it had no objections to the new scheme of things as far as the oil tanker was concerned.
The confrontation between Washington and Moscow is something that will be watched carefully globally. Beyond shadow boxing, the real focus is still on and in Venezuela where the Trump administration has not exactly spelt out the steps that are going to be in place since its operations to oust President Nicholas Maduro and bring him to New York to face charges on January 3. Many are surprised that the Republican administration has shown a willingness to play ball with President Maduro’s Deputy Delcy Rodriguez, triggering a speculation that perhaps an understanding was reached before American forces reached Caracas.
What has surprised many in Venezuela and outside is the disdain Washington has shown to the real and legitimate opposition to President Maduro who were cheated out during the elections of 2024 making it look as if the former strongman won it fair and square. To argue that leading figures like Nobel Peace winner Maria Corina Machado do not have “respect” or the wherewithal to lead the country is hardly amusing to the vast majority of Venezuelans who had placed bets on her judgement. Now it appears that folks would have to wait for some three, six or how many more months for new polls.
There have been a few things that have become apparent in the last several days over and beyond the play of or in words. To begin with the capture of President Maduro and springing him and his wife out of Caracas was hardly a law enforcement operation involving a handful of police cruisers. It was a military operation that saw boots on the ground, on the high seas, an assortment of fighter jets including B 1 bombers and coordination with some 20 military bases. That said, senior administration officials have maintained that since it was not an “invasion” or a declaration of war for the Congress to be notified as per the War Powers Act.
In the aftermath of January 3, the Republican administration led by the President have been quite vocal in what the neighborhood could expect as well as far beyond. Cuba, Columbia and Mexico have been put on notice; and so has been Iran and Greenland, all for different reasons. The only difference is that Cuba is expected to meet its own fate and fall on its own in the absence of an economic prop-up by President Maduro. Greenland has been brought into the national security framework by virtue of its rich natural resources including oil and rare earths.
Greenland plays a critical role in the NATO and what was a political campaign talk in 2024 by candidate Trump has now received fresh attention in the aftermath of Venezuela. The high-profile rhetoric on Greenland is that this Arctic territory should be brought into the United States, by military force if necessary. And for those who believe that Greenland can be “bought” just as others like Alaska, people living in that part of the world are saying “we are not for sale.”
Since the Maduro Drama has played out, the Trump administration has also made no bones of the fact that perhaps Venezuelan Oil was the bottom line and drugs to a lesser extent. The Energy Secretary has made it very clear that Washington intends to maintain significant control over Caracas’ oil industry including overseeing sale of production indefinitely. “Going forward, we will sell the production that comes out of Venezuela into the marketplace,” Secretary Chris Wright has said at an energy conference.
President Trump in a social media post has said that Caracas would send between 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil or up to two months of production to the United States. Administration officials have been consistently making the point that America’s oil companies will be actively involved in Venezuelan oil henceforth, but questions remain if oil conglomerates will be interested in pumping zillions of dollars every year for many, many years to keep their heads above water in an industry that been ruined over the years.
And while Washington keeps itself occupied in tanker seizures and making its point in its sphere of influence in the Western hemisphere, the real question is in the extent of jubilation in Moscow and Beijing of a sense of relief over Ukraine, the dispute in the South China Seas or Taiwan.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
