Rising tensions in the Atlantic took a dramatic turn this week as the U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker shadowed by a submarine—a move former NATO official Jamie Shea called 'not surprising' but potentially explosive for global diplomacy. 💥
Shea, ex-Deputy Assistant Secretary General for NATO, told CGTN the seizure aligns with Washington's push to curb Venezuela's oil trade. 🔥 "The U.S. has made it clear it wants to clamp down on Venezuela's oil traffic," he said, adding that escalating enforcement was inevitable.
The incident, occurring amid a Russian submarine presence, raises questions about Moscow's response. Shea noted it could strain U.S.-Russia relations further, complicating European hopes for a Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan. 🌍 "Will this push Putin to dig in harder?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Shea dismissed rumors of a U.S. invasion of Greenland as mere "rhetoric," though he acknowledged the speculation as "not good news" for NATO unity. ❄️ With 2026 already shaping up as a year of high-stakes geopolitics, this Atlantic showdown is one to watch. 👀
