Russia has asked the United States to halt the pursuit of an oil tanker that is heading toward Venezuela and is currently evading the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, the well-known American newspaper The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
U.S. forces began pursuing the tanker nearly two weeks ago. Naval tracking groups have identified the vessel as “Bella 1,” according to the news agency Reuters.
On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on four companies that it said operate in Venezuela’s oil sector, as well as on tanker vessels linked to them, as President Donald Trump’s administration increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Russia made the formal diplomatic request at a time when Trump is also attempting to mediate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
The White House, the U.S. State Department, and the Russian Embassy in Washington were not immediately available to comment.