COPENHAGEN, June 17 (Reuters) - Denmark is considering ways to limit a so-called shadow fleet of tankers from carrying Russian oil through the Baltic Sea, the Nordic country's foreign minister said on Monday, in a move that could heighten tensions with Moscow.
Russia sends about a third of its seaborne oil exports, or 1.5% of global supply, through the Danish straits that sit as a gateway to the Baltic Sea, so any attempt to halt supplies could send oil prices higher and hit the Kremlin's finances.
Since Western nations imposed a price cap on Russia's oil in an attempt to curb vital funds for its war in Ukraine, Russia has relied on a fleet of often ageing tankers based and insured outside the West.
Denmark has brought together a group of allied countries evaluating measures targeting this shadow fleet, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told Reuters in an emailed statement.
He did not say what measures were being considered.
"There is broad consensus that the shadow fleet is an international problem and that international solutions are required," Lokke Rasmussen said.
"It's important that any new measures can be implemented in practice and that they are legally sound with regards to international law," he added.
Countries involved in the talks included other Baltic Sea states and European Union members, the minister said.
Denmark is concerned that old tankers transporting oil through its straits represent a potential danger to the environment.
Russia's embassy in Denmark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news was reported by Danish daily Information and online media Danwatch. (Reporting by Louise Rasmussen; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Potter)
