European sanctions

Moscow (Rajeev Sharma): Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stern warning of potential military and naval retaliation against Western states for intercepting Russian-linked merchant ships, characterising the enforcement actions as state-sponsored piracy. Speaking during an inspection aboard a naval warship participating in Pacific drills, Putin declared that Western interdictions breach international maritime laws and frameworks. He asserted that Moscow retains the right to execute symmetrical responses across any maritime zone it deems appropriate, emphasising that retaliatory measures will not be confined geographically to areas where Russian vessels have been detained. During the high-level naval briefing, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral…