What the Latest Oil Tanker Seizure Means for US-Russia Relations

Following an 18-day pursuit across the Atlantic Ocean, US forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker formerly known as Bella 1, sparking multiple perspectives across the political spectrum.

Cold War Overtones: The Washington Post Editorial Board (Lean Left bias) called Wednesday's boarding and seizure of the sanctioned oil tanker now called the Marinera "daring," quoting Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the seizure was part of "stabilization" efforts for Venezuela. The board said, "The whole episode has Cold War overtones, with a hint of Tom Clancy," suggesting that the operation showed "Trump has markedly cooled toward Russian President Vladimir Putin." The article suggested this "cooling" has something to do with "Putin lying to him directly," referencing Russia's claim that Ukrainians launched a drone attack on Putin's home, of which President Trump initially said he was "very angry about," later revealing that he didn't believe the strike took place. Simon Shuster, writing opinion for The Atlantic (Left), called the operation a "high-seas gambit" that dealt the Kremlin "humiliation such as it has seldom faced on the high seas." The writer portrayed the seizure as an example of the vast power difference between Moscow and Washington, suggesting that the US has successfully pushed Russia out of Latin America.

Empty Finger-Wagging: The New York Post Editorial Board (Right) said Trump's seizures of "ghost fleet" oil tankers "promotes global order." The board compared sanctions to "liberal solutions" such as "stricter gun regulation," saying they are "meaningless without enforcement, which still requires force." The article suggested that "Trump is showing the world what real sanctions entail, ones that aren't empty finger-wagging."  Trump, according to the article, is simply "taking action to support the liberal international order" and is "treating Putin as the snake he is."

Down For The Count: Opinion writers for The Hill (Center) suggested that Putin's desperate attempts to project an image of Russian military power is an indication of his dwindling power. The writers said that while "his regime is not in danger of collapsing…his country — its economy, military and global influence — is stuck in the mud." The article also questioned why Putin would go through the trouble of dispatching Naval escorts including a nuclear-powered submarine to protect an empty oil tanker, suggesting the answer may lie in what the ship could have been transporting besides oil. The article listed clues to illicit or nefarious cargo lie in the history tied to the ship, listed previously as a sanctioned vessel for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, specifically its Quds Force which was historically active in Venezuela.   

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