"Explosions were reported on the Arctic Metagaz, which had been carrying 61,000 tonnes of LNG, on Tuesday night when the ship was about 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Libya. Russia's transport ministry had claimed that the Arctic Metagaz had been hit by Ukrainian drones launched from the Libyan coast."
"A prolonged energy crisis caused by the widening war in the Middle East may offer the Russian war machine an economic lifeline just as it was beginning to show signs of strain over its war in Ukraine. Russia could receive a windfall if disruption in the Middle East pushes buyers towards its energy."
"Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that trilateral talks with Washington and Moscow about ending Ukraine's war in Russia would resume, once the situation in Iran and the Middle East permitted. The Ukrainian president also said that he spoke to the king of Bahrain and the crown prince of Kuwait about the conflict in the Middle East."
Putin claims Ukraine attacked the Arctic Metagaz, an LNG carrier carrying 61,000 tonnes, which exploded and sank off Libya's coast. Russia's transport ministry attributed the incident to Ukrainian drones launched from Libya. Ukraine has not commented on the sinking. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones damaged Russian civilian sites in Saratov, injuring three people and forcing airport closures. Disruptions in the Middle East energy market may benefit Russia economically as buyers seek alternative energy sources, while potential slowdowns in Western arms supplies to Ukraine could further advantage Russia. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy indicated trilateral peace talks with Washington and Moscow would resume once Middle East tensions permit. Ukraine announced a boycott of the Paralympics opening ceremony in Milan-Cortina over Russian athlete participation.
#russia-ukraine-conflict #energy-security #middle-east-geopolitics #lng-shipping #international-diplomacy
Read at www.theguardian.com
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