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The Government of Russia expressed its gratitude this Friday to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for ordering the release of two Russian citizens who were part of the crew of the Marinera tanker, captured earlier this week by the U.S. Coast Guard in the North Atlantic.
The announcement was made by the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, who confirmed that Moscow welcomes President Trump's decision "with satisfaction" and emphasized the role of diplomatic dialogue in resolving the incident.
"We welcome with satisfaction President Donald Trump's decision to release two Russian citizens who are part of the crew of the oil tanker Marinera and express our gratitude to U.S. leadership," Zajárova stated in a message released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on X (@mae_rusia).
The Marinera—formerly known as Bella 1—was intercepted on January 7 by combined units of the U.S. Coast Guard and naval special forces, following more than two weeks of pursuit on the high seas.
According to Washington, the vessel was part of the so-called "shadow fleet" used by Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to transport sanctioned oil and evade international embargoes.
During the operation, conducted in the North Atlantic, the Marinera was sailing under a Russian flag, which it had adopted on December 24, presumably to evade sanctions.
According to Russian press, the ship belonged to a company registered in the Ryazan region and was transporting Venezuelan oil destined for Baltic ports.
U.S. officials confirmed that the crew did not resist and that the operation was completed "without incident," although it provoked a strong diplomatic protest from Moscow, which described the capture as an "illegal action" and an "act of piracy" related to the oil embargo against Venezuela.
After the release of the two crew members, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev acknowledged that the Marinera ship "made a mistake" by using the Russian flag as a political shield to evade sanctions.
"It is evident why he ended up carrying the provisional flag of Russia. Faced with the threat of capture, he sought protection from U.S. sanctions. However, the chosen method was not entirely appropriate," Medvédev wrote on Telegram.
Spokesperson Zajárova added that Russian authorities have taken steps to ensure the quick return of the released sailors to their country, and reiterated that Moscow continues to demand the lifting of sanctions that it considers “illegal and unjustified.”
President Trump's decision to release the Russian sailors is seen as a momentary gesture of détente amid a highly tense backdrop between Washington and Moscow, following weeks of friction over the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and maritime control operations in the Caribbean and the Atlantic.
Diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters stated that the White House is seeking to avoid direct escalation with Russia, despite maintaining pressure on the oil transportation networks connected to the Venezuelan regime and its allies.
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