Robin Brooks says the EU should “shut down Putin’s shadow fleet” in the Baltic to earn a seat at the peace table.

Let’s walk through why this idea is not just wrong — it’s dangerous.

First: there is no such thing as a Russian “shadow fleet.”

That’s a media term for tankers not insured in London — not mysterious Kremlin ships with black sails.

These are mostly old vessels, flagged to countries like Panama or Liberia, operated by third parties.

They’re used to carry Russian oil under sanctions — yes — but they are not controlled by the Russian state.

Second: how would the EU “shut them down”?

That would require interdicting ships in international waters or blocking access to Russian ports.

In plain language: a naval blockade.

And under international law, a naval blockade — unless authorized by the UN Security Council — is an act of war.

There’s no ambiguity here. Blocking those ships would mean opening a military conflict with Russia.

Third: the EU can’t do it — even if it wanted to.

The EU is not a sovereign state. It cannot declare war. It has no navy. It has no authority to order military action.

Only individual member states can act — and none are likely to launch a blockade of Russia in the Baltic Sea. It would be absolute madness.

So let’s be clear:

• There is no “Putin fleet”
• There’s no legal way to “shut it down”
• And the EU has no mandate, force, or authority to try

If EU leaders followed Robin Brooks’ advice, it wouldn’t get them “a seat at the table.”

It would put them at war — a war they’re neither prepared for nor legally able to start.