E.U. proposal would reportedly have Denmark inspect and block Russian oil tankers

The E.U. is considering a plan under which Denmark would inspect and, if necessary, detain vessels transporting Russian oil through the country’s waters, The Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday.

According to the outlet’s sources, Danish border guards will stop tankers that lack Western insurance under laws allowing them to inspect ships that could pose a threat to the environment.

The proposal comes in the wake of admissions from E.U. officials that the $60-a-barrel price cap imposed by a G7-led coalition last year has largely failed.

About 60 percent of Russia’s maritime oil exports are transported through the Baltic Sea. According to the FT, the equivalent of about two million barrels of Russian oil travels through the Danish straits every day.