The Russian government has sent a diplomatic note to Washington demanding an end to the pursuit of the tanker Bella 1, which the United States is trying to seize as part of its blockade of ships carrying Venezuelan oil, The New York Times reported, citing its sources.
According to the newspaper, the request was sent to the State Department late on the evening of December 31 and was also received by the White House National Security Council.
The United States has been watching the tanker for nearly two weeks. The ship, which sailed from Iran, was on its way to Venezuela for oil when U.S. forces tried to seize it in the Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard said the ship was sailing without a national flag and the agency had a warrant to seize the tanker, which is on the U.S. sanctions list.