Was it just because of the Orthodox Christmas that Moscow’s initial reactions to the capture of a Russian-flagged tanker by the American Navy were so conspicuously reserved? It took the Russian Foreign Ministry almost 24 hours after the first news of the operation to formulate a strong protest against it.
Russia couldn’t be surprised
It couldn’t have been surprised by what was happening. The Russian government has been closely following developments surrounding the ship from the shadow fleet for weeks. And it has done several things to protect it: first by reflagging the tanker as a Russian ship on the high seas, and then through diplomatic interventions in the United States.
This suggests that the Russian holidays were not the reason for the slow response. Moscow is currently having great difficulty finding a line in dealing with Washington.
Since Donald Trump took office, there has been an attempt to ensnare him with kindness and flattery so that he will abandon Ukraine and its European allies. In order to keep Trump happy, the Kremlin has accepted many things in recent months – such as the attacks on Iran – with a level of restraint that was previously almost unimaginable. But this policy is currently reaching its limits.
