A Danish shipyard on Funen has serviced nine natural gas ships that are part of the Russian shadow fleet since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Financial Times writes this on its front page on Tuesday.
In September, Danwatch and Ekstra Bladet were able to reveal the same thing, and the story amazes Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S), who is at a NATO meeting in Finland on Tuesday, where member states on the Baltic Sea are represented.
- First of all, I simply cannot understand if it is true. I mean, I cannot understand if there is a Danish shipyard that is contributing to Russia's war in Europe, and they simply have to stop that. And it is clear that the authorities must of course look into this, but when you ask me - I do not know the specific circumstances - but it is completely incomprehensible to me if there is a Danish shipyard that contributes to this, says Mette Frederiksen.
Question: Is it Denmark or the EU that can stop it?
- Well, now I must first be allowed to look into what is up and down in this. But we sanction as a community, and I have said from the beginning that even if there were to be some gray areas - I do not know if that is the case here. Even if there were, you also have an obligation as a Danish company not to support the Russians in any way.
Natural gas ships have been serviced in the Port of Odense
According to Danwatch and Ekstra Bladet, the nine natural gas ships that have been serviced at the Fayard shipyard in Odense are part of the Russian Yamal LNG fleet. They are icebreakers that sail with Russian gas from Siberia.
However, the ships do not sail under the Russian flag and are owned by energy and shipping companies, writes the Financial Times. The ships' activities are also not subject to sanctions, it continues - among other things because they do not sail under the Russian flag.
Fayard has emphasized to the Danish media that the company complies with the law.
When Odense Mayor Peter Rahbek Juel (S) became aware of Danwatch's and Ekstra Bladet's stories in September, he requested a statement from the Port of Odense.
A few weeks later, the media outlet Maritimedanmark.dk described a request from Rahbek Juel to Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V). According to the media outlet, the request stated that the natural gas ships in question are "serviced by companies located in the port".
- They have done so completely legally - and without the possibility that the Port of Odense can reject them, which is deeply frustrating.
/ritzau/
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