Pedro Sánchez turns a blind eye to the Russian 'shadow fleet' so as not to harm Morocco

The Prime Minister of Spain has spent several years pretending to be a friend of the Ukrainian cause, but his actions indicate otherwise.

Pedro Sánchez knew that Spain was buying Russian oil from Morocco and was silent
The infamous favors of Pedro Sánchez's government to Vladimir Putin's dictatorship

Sánchez's favors to Russia while claiming to support Ukraine

Allied with an extreme left that has been benefiting Russian interests for years, Sánchez has adopted a policy that openly favors Russia in various aspects, some of them truly scandalous, such as the purchase of Russian natural gas while prohibiting its extraction in Spain (a policy that clearly harms Spanish interests and is very lucrative for the Kremlin's interests) and also the purchase of Russian oil through Morocco, violating European sanctions, as we already saw here in April 2023.

Far from rectifying this policy, the Spanish government—formed by a coalition of socialists and communists—is increasing its support for Russia's oil tanker fleet, specifically the so-called "shadow fleet," made up of ships without a flag or with several flags, which frequently change names and in many cases are very old and pose a clear risk to the environment.

A Spanish ship escorted a Russian oil tanker to Morocco instead of seizing it

At the end of January, a scandalous event occurred that exposes the complicity of Sánchez's government with the Kremlin's logistical strategy to circumvent European sanctions: a Spanish rescue ship escorted a Russian oil tanker sanctioned by the EU to Morocco without taking any action against it, an incomprehensible fact while The Ukrainian news outlet United24 Media reported on the incident, denouncing the Spanish government for failing to provide any explanation and for not responding to requests for comment sent to the Ministry of Defense. The tanker, "The Chariot Tide," has been subject to EU sanctions since November for "irregular and high-risk maritime practices." This morning, @Springbok1973, an expert on maritime transport and naval intelligence, noted that on February 2nd another vessel from the Russian shadow fleet, the "Starlit," sailed east of the Canary Islands, again with the Spanish government turning a blind eye. It is carrying no less than 750,000 barrels of crude oil for Singapore.

The United States sends a Coast Guard vessel to the Strait of Gibraltar

Pedro Sánchez's tolerance of the Russian shadow fleet has already drawn a response from the White House. The USCGC Munro (WMSL-755) of the US Coast Guard has appeared in the Strait of Gibraltar with the clear objective of monitoring this Russian shadow fleet. @Springbok1973 comments on what the arrival of that ship means: "A slap in the face for the Spanish Government, which couldn't care less about the issue, despite being completely exposed to the phenomenon and with daily transits in the TTS of the Strait of Gibraltar."

Spain has become a key point for Russian oil

On January 30, in El Periódico de la Energía, Antonio García-Amate and Jorge Fernández pointed out: "Spain has become a key player in the Russian oil flow network. Among the 20 EU ports where the most dockings of subsequently sanctioned vessels have occurred are Ceuta (11th), Huelva (17th) and Cartagena (20th)". This information adds: "Before the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) on Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, the port of Ceuta ranked 90th in the European ranking of Russian oil unloading. Today, it is in 11th position."

The authors of that article warn: "The volume of operations of the Russian "ghost fleet" in Spanish waters is increasing. Spain imports millions of barrels of Russian oil transported in old and unsafe vessels. This not only contravenes European regulations on sanctions against Russia, but also generates environmental and physical risks that cannot be ignored."

Spain is exposed to the risk of suffering submarine cable cuts

In addition to these risks, Spain is also exposed to the hybrid warfare unleashed by Russia against NATO using these ships, which could have serious consequences for our country's strategic infrastructure. Since November 2024, Russia has been using this shadow fleet to cut submarine cables in several countries, as already happened with the Estlink 2 submarine cable, which carries electricity between Finland and Estonia and was cut on December 25, 2024, on Christmas Day, by the tanker "Eagle S" of the Russian shadow fleet.

Estonia and Finland have begun intercepting these ships, fed up with these attacks. Meanwhile, Pedro Sánchez gives them free rein in the vicinity of Spain. Beyond ideological explanations (the aforementioned affinity between Sánchez's communist partners and Moscow, united by their hatred of the West), the Spanish government's attitude is explained by Sánchez's subservience to Morocco, an increasingly dangerous relationship that could have its origin in the Moroccan espionage case against high-ranking Spanish government officials, including Sánchez, in 2021.

Sánchez and his policy of constant concessions to Morocco

It is unknown what the African country was able to find on the mobile phone of the Spanish Prime Minister, but a few months later, in March 2022, Sánchez made a 180-degree turn in Spanish policy on Western Sahara, giving in to Morocco's demands, without giving explanations to Congress, in a clear betrayal of 46 years of Spanish foreign policy and violating UN Security Council Resolution 690 (1991).

Continuing with the same policy of scandalous concessions, in October 2022 the Spanish government dissolved an effective anti-drug police unit that was successfully combating drug trafficking in the Campo de Gibraltar region, a decision that benefited Morocco, the world's leading producer of hashish and that in 2021 had legalized cannabis. Since then, drug traffickers from Morocco have taken over the southern Spanish coast, with the Civil Guard completely overwhelmed by the lack of resources and the extreme violence of these criminals, who two years ago murdered two Civil Guards by ramming their speedboat.

Intercepting those Russian ships would be very damaging for Morocco

Since 2021, the Spanish government's policy toward Morocco has been based on a constant capitulation to all kinds of blackmail and on displays of secrecy, such as the meeting held at the Moncloa Palace at the end of December between Sánchez and the Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch. This policy would also explain Sánchez's turning a blind eye to the phantom fleet. Morocco has been doing business with Russian oil since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In 2023, Morocco began exporting diesel to Spain for the first time since 2015, following a large-scale purchase of fuel from Russia. If Spain were to take action against the Russian phantom fleet operating in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Morocco would be seriously harmed. Once again, Sánchez is prioritizing Morocco's interests over Spain's. One day we'll find out what was on his phone that made him give in to so much blackmail.

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Photo: MarineTraffic. The tanker "The Chariot Tide" of the Russian shadow fleet.