France’s detention of tanker requires international condemnation — Russia

  France’s detention of the DF Peak tanker off the coast of Reunion is an act of piracy that should be condemned by all countries, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters.

"This is a blatant violation of international law and an absolutely unacceptable practice, which requires condemnation by the international community. Put simply, this is an act of piracy on the sea lanes," he pointed out.

The deputy foreign minister specified that "there were no Russian nationals on board, but that fact does not change our attitude toward such acts of piracy at sea." "This goes far beyond the bounds of international law; in particular, this is a blatant violation of the 1982 Convention. This is absolutely unacceptable," he stressed, adding that "no international conventions account for such actions."