NYT: Russia asks US to stop pursuing fleeing oil tanker

The Russian government has sent an official diplomatic request to the United States asking it to stop the pursuit of an oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela and is hiding from the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean. This was reported by the newspaper. The New York Times citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

They said the request was sent to the State Department late in the evening on New Year's Eve. It was also sent to the White House National Security Council, one of the sources added.

The conflict over the tanker flared up amid attempts by the US president Donald Trump to conclude a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Russia's demand for the US to stop pursuing the vessel could add a new nuance to the negotiations and escalate tensions between the two countries over Venezuela.

American forces have been tracking the tanker Bella 1 for almost two weeks. The vessel, which began its journey from Iran, was heading for Venezuela to pick up oil when the US tried to stop it in the Caribbean Sea.

US authorities stated that the vessel was not sailing under a valid national flag, and therefore, according to international law, it was subject to inspection. In addition, the US has a warrant for its arrest. But the crew refused to comply and returned to the Atlantic.

In the following days, the vessel attempted to claim protection from Russia: its crew painted a Russian flag on the side of the ship and informed the Coast Guard by radio that they were under Russian control. The tanker recently appeared in the official Russian registry of ships under the new name "Mariner" with its home port in Sochi.

The White House declined to comment. However, a US official familiar with the matter said the Trump administration continues to view the tanker as "stateless" because it was sailing under a false flag when the Coast Guard first approached it. The State Department and the Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Although obtaining Russian protection for the tanker Bella 1 in accordance with international law may be unlikely, Russia's diplomatic intervention could complicate an attempt to seize the tanker, journalists noted.

• On December 31, it was reported that oil tanker crew The Bella 1, which is being pursued by the US Coast Guard, has painted a Russian flag, apparently in an attempt to signal for protection from the Russian Federation.
• On January 1, 2026, it became known that the tanker was officially It was renamed and entered into the official Russian database.