US Blocks G-7 Shadow Fleet Initiative: A Bold Move Towards Transformation!

By Donato Paolo Mancini, Samy Adghirni, and Laura Dhillon Kane

March 8, 2025 (Bloomberg) – The United States has turned down a canadian initiative aimed at forming a task force too address the issue of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers. This decision comes as the Trump administration reassesses its stance within various multilateral organizations,according to sources familiar with the discussions.

This year, Canada is presiding over the G-7 and will host a summit for foreign ministers in Charlevoix, Québec next week. During talks to draft a unified statement on maritime concerns, U.S. representatives are advocating for stronger language regarding China while diluting references to Russia. Sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of these discussions revealed this information.

The phrase “shadow fleet” refers to older oil tankers that have been hidden from view in order to bypass Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

For further reading: China and India Scramble for Crude as Sanctioned Russian Tankers Turn Back

In addition to rejecting Canada’s proposal for a monitoring task force aimed at sanction violations, the draft G-7 statement reviewed by Bloomberg News indicates that U.S. officials sought to eliminate mentions of “sanctions” entirely and rather replaced phrases about Russia’s capacity to sustain its military actions in Ukraine with terms like “generate revenue.”

When discussing maritime safety and security issues, U.S. representatives insisted on directly naming China by highlighting threats posed by its attempts at enforcing illegal maritime claims along with aggressive aerial activities specifically related to the South China Sea.

The Ongoing Negotiation Landscape

The finalization of G-7 communiques requires consensus among member nations; thus negotiations may lead to considerable alterations before or during the upcoming summit.

A Shift in Alliances?

Despite ongoing negotiations, tensions between Washington and other Western allies have escalated significantly. For instance,last month saw an inability among allies to release a joint statement commemorating three years since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine—a stark contrast from previous years when such statements were issued without issue—due largely because Washington resisted strong denunciations against Moscow.

The U.S. is also resisting references related to maritime sustainability efforts and also initiatives aimed at establishing an observatory for tracking changes in territorial waters—an increasingly critical topic amid global maritime disputes such as those occurring in the South China Sea.

Diplomats from Washington have informed their counterparts that this shift stems from an internal review regarding America’s role within multilateral frameworks wich limits participation in new collaborative efforts.

A spokesperson representing canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly opted not comment on ongoing discussions while representatives from the U.S State Department did not respond promptly when contacted via email seeking clarification.

A New Era Under Trump’s Administration

The early months of President donald Trump’s second term have dramatically altered long-standing foreign policy norms prompting allied nations towards establishing independent security measures. European leaders convened recently in Brussels aiming towards significant increases in defense budgets amidst uncertainties surrounding future American involvement within alliances like NATO.

An additional draft seen by Bloomberg reveals that any mention concerning Russian aggression has been omitted entirely; instead it expresses support for “all efforts” directed toward achieving ceasefire agreements.
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