Lavrov threatens response to Russian ship detentions, rules out an early halt to war

Russia could retaliate against vessels belonging to states involved in detaining Russian merchant ships and confiscating their cargoes, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, warning of a further escalation in Moscow’s confrontation with Europe.

In an interview with Russian state broadcaster VGTRK, Lavrov accused the European Union of attempting to extend its own sanctions decisions to international shipping. Russia would respond “in kind” and choose the vessels targeted by any retaliatory action, he said.

His statement reinforced a warning issued by President Vladimir Putin on August 12. Putin said Moscow could detain European vessels if European countries began confiscating and selling cargoes from ships they classify as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”. Russia’s Pacific Fleet said it was ready to inspect and detain vessels from countries Moscow regards as hostile, Reuters reported.

The European Union has stepped up action against tankers it says help Russia circumvent restrictions on oil exports. On August 2, an Italian-led European Union naval mission boarded the Toa Payoh tanker in the Mediterranean. The vessel was not seized because of limitations in the mission’s mandate, according to Reuters.

Russia describes such operations as piracy. European governments say they are enforcing sanctions and trying to reduce revenue used by Moscow to finance its war against Ukraine. The legality of a particular boarding or detention depends on the vessel’s flag, documentation and location, as well as the jurisdiction of the state conducting the operation.

Moscow sees no grounds for halting the fighting

Lavrov also ruled out stopping the war along the current front line. Fighting could end only after a durable settlement meeting Russia’s declared objectives, he said.

The minister said Russian attacks on infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s armed forces would become tougher. He repeated Moscow’s assertion that all the objectives of what Russia calls its “special military operation” would be achieved.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv and its Western partners reject Moscow’s claims that it is fighting Nazism and describe the war as an unprovoked assault on Ukrainian sovereignty.

Asked about the United States, Lavrov said Moscow had not issued Washington with an ultimatum. Russia had, however, sent questions to the State Department concerning the provision of intelligence to Ukraine and what it described as deeper US involvement in planning strikes inside Russia.

Putin remained prepared to receive US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Lavrov said, though the outcome of any meeting would depend on the proposals they brought to Moscow.

Türkiye retains potential mediator role

Turning to Türkiye, Lavrov acknowledged that its membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity created disagreements with Moscow. He said, however, that both countries remained interested in economic projects and stable navigation in the Black Sea.

Russia continued to regard Türkiye as an important partner despite their differences, he said. Ankara previously mediated the Black Sea grain agreement and has repeatedly offered to host negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Lavrov also accused the Japanese governments that succeeded former prime minister Shinzo Abe of pursuing militarisation and closer coordination with the United States, which he linked to the deterioration of Russian-Japanese relations.

The interview suggested that Moscow sees neither the war in Ukraine nor the maritime confrontation with Europe as nearing resolution. The Russian leadership is instead signalling readiness to expand retaliatory measures while keeping open channels for negotiations with Washington and Ankara. Lavrov’s full remarks appear in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official transcript.