The Russian vessel Shtandart has been banned from entering ports in the French department of Ille-et-Vilaine, including the largest port, Saint-Malo, but some other regions are still ignoring the relevant EU sanctions.
Bernard Grua, spokesperson for the No Shtandart In Europe group, told this to a Ukrinform correspondent.
“We have been assured that the Shtandart is not welcome here and will not enter the port of Saint-Malo or any other port in the department. Just like last summer,” he said.
According to Grua, the prefecture stated that it respects the sanctions imposed by the European Union and will comply with its own decree issued in 2024.
Earlier, activists from the group sent a letter to the prefect for informational purposes so that he could “ensure compliance with the European ban in all ports of the department.”
A similar appeal was previously addressed to the prefecture of Charente-Maritime, as the Russian sailing ship was heading for the port of La Rochelle. However, the appeal was ignored there, and the ship from Russia was even able to take part in the naval parade.
“I don’t think the Shtandart had permission to enter the Gulf of Morbihan. However, it was not prohibited from doing so,” said the activist, highlighting the double standards applied by local authorities in selectively enforcing EU sanctions.
Earlier, the Shtandart, which replaced the Russian tricolor with the flags of Cook Island, published its summer sailing plan. Among the next stops, besides France, are moorings in Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, and Denmark.
“This time, the Shtandart is no longer limited to France, Spain, or even the EU. This illustrates the captain’s sense of impunity, his confidence in his influence, and his contempt for our institutions. It also shows that our countries can only put an end to the fraud that has been going on for more than three years if they follow Spain’s example – that is, through a coordinated ban on its presence in all their territorial waters,” Grua concluded.
It should be recalled that for more than three years, pro-Ukrainian civil society activists in France have been trying to force the Russian sailing ship Shtandart, which is under EU sanctions, to leave the country permanently.
Photo provided by the No Shtandart In Europe group
Source: Russian ship Shtandart banned from several French ports – activist
