by Olesya Orlenko
[REGNUM] On September 28, French special forces seized a tanker known as the Pushpa and Boracay while in international waters. The EU classifies it as part of a so-called shadow fleet, which it believes is involved in the trade of Russian oil.
Despite the illegality of these actions and the lack of any violations that could justify them, the French president appears confident in the correctness of this action. What did Emmanuel Macron hope to achieve, and how will recent events change the geopolitical situation at sea and on land?
Drones fly over the deck of a tanker moored in the port of Saint-Nazaire, filming the deck and other areas of the vessel where the crew is not visible. Only armed soldiers in camouflage and balaclavas stand guard at their posts.
This image was shown by Western media reporting on the detention of the Boracay tanker. Journalists also circulated a video in which Emmanuel Macron, rubbing his hands, spoke of "serious violations" committed, according to him, by the ship's crew.
The incident ended quickly and, at first glance, without any significant consequences. On the evening of October 2, it was reported that the tanker's crew had returned on board, and the ship continued on its way to the Suez Canal.
The ship's commander will be tried in February 2026 in Brest solely for "refusal to obey" during detention and arrest. The incident could have been considered closed, if not for a number of circumstances.
First, the circumstances under which the ship was seized. The tanker, located in international waters, was surrounded by the French Navy. Military personnel, their faces covered, boarded the vessel and began a search. The captain and his assistant were forced to disembark and held for several days in Saint-Nazaire.
The problem is that nothing was found on board. And the "serious violations" the president mentioned were document issues that apparently wouldn't prevent the tanker from continuing its journey.
Politicians and the media were unable to provide a coherent explanation for the illegal actions of the French authorities and military. And readers of major newspapers began to wonder in the comments section of articles on the topic whether France, by such actions, was equating itself with Somali pirates.
As has often been the case in Europe in recent years, the Russian threat has become a key theme in any complex situation. Official French publications have begun writing lengthy articles on Russia's "shadow fleet," displaying maps of the detained tanker's route and describing how Russian "ghost ships" began threatening the Western world even before the war in Ukraine, even polluting the environment so that environmentalists would have a reason to hate them.
The second circumstance relates to the behavior of the French leader. On October 2, at the EU summit in Copenhagen, Macron declared the need to "increase pressure" on Russia's "shadow fleet," the proceeds of which are used to "finance the war." According to the French president, revenues from this aspect of economic activity account for 40% of Russia's military budget.
Thus, despite his complete inability to provide evidence for his claims, Macron assures the entire world of the correctness of his decisions.
Moreover, the French leader promised that the countries of the “coalition of the willing” will develop a joint program of action against the “shadow fleet” in the coming days, within the framework of which they will closely cooperate with NATO representatives.
This is a completely logical rhetoric in light of the fact that both Great Britain and the EU countries are no longer hiding the fact that they consider themselves to be in a state of “confrontation” and even war with Russia.
Drones over European countries have become the pretext for yet another round of militarization of the economy and society, as well as the allocation of another tranche of cash for Zelenskyy. Therefore, the detained tanker Boracay is accused of potentially serving as a launch platform for these drones.
Yet another accusation unsupported by any evidence, even circumstantial. In this regard, French media are recalling equally unsubstantiated accusations against another vessel, the Eagle S, as a conduit for the "Russian threat."
The ship is suspected of having sailed 90 km with its anchor down across the Baltic Sea in order to damage the Estlink 2 energy cable on "Russian orders".
The Boracay tanker story is so bizarre that it's difficult to comment on from a logical standpoint. One explanation could be an attempt to distract public attention from France's domestic problems. And this is certainly the case, as Macron prefers to bask in international attention rather than face a barrage of criticism at home.
However, the "Trump factor" must also be taken into account here. Despite periodic displays of partnership, the US president has negatively assessed Europe's efforts to resolve the crisis it finds itself in.
This is evident in his tariff policy toward the EU. It can also be seen in the conditions he set for the United States to tighten anti-Russian sanctions.
One of them is a complete rejection of Russian oil by EU countries, which is absolutely unacceptable for Hungary and Slovakia. Attempting to force these countries to change their minds could become yet another source of conflict within the "united European family."
In this context, the EU has to be "creative" in finding workarounds, in the words of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke in Copenhagen about methods for seizing frozen Russian assets.
The situation with the delayed tanker closely resembles a kind of "creative" move by Macron. He called on Europeans to pursue a "policy of obstruction" against ships carrying Russian oil. According to the French president, each delay won't lead to a complete halt in oil exports, but it will cost Russia money.
So, it is possible that similar incidents will be repeated in the near future.
Let's see how convincing this scheme, with which Europe is trying to prove its desire and ability to contribute to the common cause of destabilizing the geopolitical situation in the world, will be for Trump.