Russia censures West for ‘gunboat diplomacy’
February 24, 2026Russian Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev criticized the West for restoring “gunboat diplomacy” in an interview with the newspaper Argumenti I Fakti on February 17.
He said that a series of international events shows that the West is pursuing the outdated “gunboat diplomacy” and turning the sea into a bridgehead for aggression.
He stressed that any naval blockade attempts of the West against Russia is totally illegal in view of international law and that the concept of the “shadow fleet” being clamoured about by the European Union is also a pure fiction from a legal point of view.
The Europeans are intentionally pushing ahead with the scenario for escalating military tension while implementing their naval blockade plan, and seeking provocation while testing Russia’s limit of patience, he disclosed.
If it fails to address the situation in a peaceful way, Russia will mobilize a fleet to break through the blockade and straighten out the situation, he warned.
KCNA-THE PYONGYANG TIMES