Putin Threatens to Seize European Vessels in Retaliation
President Putin warned that Russia would seize European ships “wherever necessary” in retaliation for the interception of vessels carrying Russian cargo, raising the risk of confrontation at sea. Separately, President Zelenskyy said Russia was now using North Korean missiles in its strikes on Ukraine. The exchanges pointed to a widening of the war beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Mr Putin’s threat escalates a simmering dispute over shipping, as European states move to enforce sanctions by intercepting tankers in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, and any tit-for-tat seizures could quickly draw NATO navies into dangerous proximity. The claim that Russia is firing North Korean missiles, if borne out, underlines how far Pyongyang has become a supplier to Moscow’s war effort, deepening an alliance that alarms Kyiv and its Western backers. Together the developments suggest a conflict that is not narrowing towards a settlement but spreading — onto the seas and into new arsenals. Mr Zelenskyy’s peace proposals to Washington sit awkwardly against that backdrop. Watch for any clash at sea and Western reaction to the missile claim.