Ukraine war latest: Trump asked about chances of deal today after ‘very good’ meeting with Zelenskyy

French navy intercepts sanctioned Russian tanker after tip-off from UK intelligence

While Volodymyr Zelenskyy was speaking in Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country’s navy has intercepted a sanctioned Russian tanker in the Mediterranean.

“This operation was carried out… with the support of several of our allies,” he wrote in a post on social media.

“It was conducted in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The French mission was conducted with the UK, which gathered and shared intelligence.

Macron said the vessel was subject to international sanctions and suspected of operating under a false flag.

“The activities of the shadow fleet contribute to financing (Russia’s) war of aggression against Ukraine,” he added.

Macron’s announcement is timely – as we reported, in Zelenskyy’s speech he specifically mentioned Russian tankers moving around Europe without action by Ukraine’s European allies.