The seizure of the oil tanker formerly known as the Bella 1, and now called Marinera, after Russia granted it the right to display the flag of the Russian Federation, has technically been made in the Western Hemisphere, which is westwards of the Greenwich meridian.

Trump’s Hemisphere. So everything is OK, right?

There are three countries whose oil exports are restricted under various sanctions

🇻🇪 Venezuela:

  • Who imposed the sanctions? The 🇺🇸 US and the US only has imposed comprehensive sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports, including vessel restrictions.

🇮🇷 Iran:

  • Who imposed the sanctions?
    • The 🇺🇳 UN has instated and reinstated sanctions, including restrictions on Iranian oil exports and related shipping.
    • The 🇺🇸 US has imposed additional comprehensive sanctions, including vessel restrictions.
    • The 🇪🇺 EU has instated and reinstated restrictions on importing, purchasing, and transporting Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, plus vessel-related services.

🇷🇺 Russia:

  • Who imposed the sanctions?
    • The 🇺🇸 US has imposed an import ban on Russian oil since March 2022 and more recently added additional sanctions on major Russian oil companies.
    • The 🇪🇺 EU has instated a comprehensive ban on Russian crude oil and refined petroleum products, plus restrictions on vessels and related services.

In brief, Iran is the only country with UN-mandated oil vessel restrictions. The US has embargoes on all three countries’ oil vessels, while the EU has embargoes on Iran and Russia, but not Venezuela.

But an import ban on oil coming from any of these three countries is almost irrelevant

What matters is who and when can seize oil tankers under such restrictions. As we saw in the case of the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro, the US claims global jurisdiction (and internal courts are OK with that), and the US usually only targeted oil tankers leaving Iran and Venezuela, but not those under the Russian flag. Until today.

In the long history of planet Earth, and not counting the high seas pirates, only the 🇺🇸 United States seized and actively seizes oil tankers on the high seas under a self-declared secondary sanctions authority. The 🇪🇺 EU and the 🇺🇳 UN impose restrictions but do not conduct interdictions or seizures of vessels. International sanctions are meant as an economic deterrent, not as an act of war.

Except that the United States, who couldn’t be bothered to put real pressure on Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, now seized a vessel under Russia’s flag.

As well-organized empires sometimes do, the US has internal law to back its claims and actions:

  • The US sanctions laws allow seizure of sanctioned vessels or those facilitating trade with sanctioned entities globally, even in international waters.
  • The US typically obtains a federal court warrant before seizure, so it could claim this is not a blockade but a law enforcement action. (Sure, Maduro’s kidnapping was also “a law enforcement action.”)

The US is the only actor that actively seizes oil tankers under global sanctions enforcement, and it does so under US law, even in international waters. This is high seas piracy under the cover of internal law.

Make no mistake, Russia is not a victim, and Maduro is not a hero

The issue at stake here is not Russia’s flag not being able to protect a vessel in international waters from attacks from countries that are not at war with Russia. The issue at stake is that the United States can do whatever they want to do, wherever they want to do it.

Similarly, the issue with Nicolás Maduro is not that the president of Venezuela was a hero and a victim of the United States. The issue is that he was abducted on legal pretenses and outside the US jurisdiction, and he’s now tried on narco-trafficking charges, not for being a dictator.

There are two victims in what the US has done in the last week:

  • The international law and the world order, or whatever semblance of it was still fooling us.
  • The people of Venezuela.

Again, I don’t care about Russia, especially considering what happens in Ukraine. But Trump’s actions are neither good deeds nor strict observance and enforcement of the law.

Trump doesn’t care in the least about the Venezuelan people. He doesn’t want free and fair elections to be held in Venezuela in the foreseeable future. He wants Venezuela’s oil and other mineral resources, even if that means that the current military junta remains in power and collaborates with the US!

By military junta, I mean Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, holding Delcy Rodríguez as a folding screen. Traitors or no traitors, they might continue to be in power.

Once again, US imperialism only pretends to do good to the dependent states.

Karoline Leavitt, in today’s press conference at 33:52:

Unfortunately, he [Nicolás Maduro] was an illegitimate dictator and an unserious person.

Well said! Unlike Donald Trump, who is a legitimate dictator and a very serious person, right?

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, today:

We’re going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela, first this backed-up stored oil, and then indefinitely, going forward, we will sell the production that comes out of Venezuela into the marketplace.

By the way, the UK military supported the US operation to seize the tanker in the Atlantic. Here’s a statement from UK Defence Secretary John Healey:

Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia.
This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.
This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
The UK will continue to step up our action against shadow fleet activity to protect our national security, our economy, and global stability – making Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

Lackeys.

Greenland is another sign of Trump’s ignominy

Under the 1941 agreement, the US has extensive rights to build bases in Greenland, and yet, they have closed or abandoned more than 30 military bases and installations in Greenland since World War II. Only the former Thule Air Base remains active today. So there’s no need to annex Greenland in order to enforce the US military presence there!

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the various US Administrations perceived that the threat from Russia decreased dramatically, making it harder to justify the enormous costs of maintaining dozens of Arctic bases. So the closure of most bases was a mix of a strategic reassessment and a cost-benefit analysis, not something imposed by either Greenland or Denmark.

Some European supporters of Trump have found the following justification that nobody asked for:

  • Since 2014, Russia has built an enormous number of military bases in the Arctic.
  • Denmark, the EU, and NATO didn’t do almost anything in reaction.
  • Russia has a huge Arctic fleet of nuclear strategic submarines and over a hundred bombers permanently stationed there.
  • Denmark and the EU have virtually nothing.
  • Meanwhile, the US has 68 nuclear submarines, 11 aircraft carriers, 22 cruisers, 73 destroyers, 300 naval combat aircraft, and 140 strategic bombers. It’s the only military power that could stop the Russian expansion in the Arctic.
  • Therefore, the US needs to invest more in the region, especially in Greenland. (Or to invest Greenland!)
  • But this comes at a cost that could not be justified domestically. By making Greenland part of the US, much like Puerto Rico, all such expenses would be “for the US,” so they would be received better internally.

As if Trump would care about what people think of him.

Facts:

  • Russia announced in 2014 plans to reopen 50 former Soviet Arctic bases. Russia has built more than 475 military installations along its northern border in recent years, according to The Economist, cited by Newsweek. However, many are radar stations, airfields, and small installations, not full military bases.
  • Russia’s Northern Fleet operates approximately 31 submarines in total, with variable operational status.
  • Denmark announced two major Arctic agreements in 2025 totaling over DKK 42 billion (about $6.3 billion) for Arctic defense, including new vessels, patrol aircraft, drones, and radar systems.
  • Save for a $323 million contract in 2024 to modernize the Pituffik (ex-Thule) Space Base, the US:
    • Made no other effort to expand its military presence in Greenland.
    • Made no demands whatsoever to Greenland, Denmark, the EU, or NATO to support a part of future military investments in Greenland.

Trump only acts on whims and desires. When he wants a toy, he must have it!

He doesn’t care about justice, democracy, or cooperation. He’s a thug.

We now have a new world dictator! Well, at least he’s not young…

But the US will remain a threat for everyone, even if Trump disappears.