US Seizes Tanker, Demands Russia Respect 'International Law' It Ignores
Mainstream outlets like The Hill are wringing their hands over a US-Russia spat concerning the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic. The vessel was allegedly transporting Venezuelan crude, violating US sanctions. Washington frames this as upholding international law against illicit trade, while Moscow decries it as an illegal act of aggression. What these reports
consistently omit is the US's long, storied history of unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures that frequently fall outside recognized international legal frameworks, often aimed at regime change—not just 'illicit trade.' Think Cuba, Iran, Venezuela itself. The US has seized hundreds of billions in assets from countries it dislikes, and routinely pressures allies to fall in line. The
irony here is palpable: the US lectures others on respecting maritime law and sovereignty while flexing its economic muscle to impound tankers based on its own domestic sanctions, which are often not recognized universally as international law. It's a classic case of 'rules for thee, but not for me.' When the US weaponizes global trade routes for political ends, it's 'national security.' When
another nation makes similar moves, it's a 'provocation.' This selective outrage conveniently sidesteps the deeper geopolitical game where US unilateralism frequently undermines the very 'rules-based order' it claims to defend.