🎙️Excerpts from the briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, St Petersburg, December 4, 2025

The Faroe Islands’ discrimination towards Russian fishing vessels
 
On December 2, 2025, the parliament of the Faroe Islands adopted amendments to the local legislation that will allow that autonomous territory to become more actively involved in the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions. These amendments were initiated by Russophobic forces to create legal grounds for barring the vessels of Russian fishing companies Murman Seafood and Norebo from fishing in Faroese waters or docking in Faroese harbours.

Although Torshavn has been acting strictly in line with Copenhagen’s policy since 2022, we regard its latest confrontation move as unprecedented. It has been taken under an absurd pretext of the Russian fishing vessels’ alleged involvement in “hybrid operations.” At the same time, the Faroe authorities have not filed official complaints or provided proof of their unsubstantiated claims, just like the EU, which has initiated such restrictions, and the countries that followed suit, including Norway. Moreover, the Faroe authorities more than once admitted that they have no proof of the alleged illegal activities by the Russian fishing vessels, which are believed to be strictly controlled and comply with all the effective rules.

Taken together, this points to the politically biased nature of the new amendments to the Faroese legislation. They have been adopted contrary to the protests and substantiated fears of some politicians, the business community and the public over the potential negative economic consequences of this move for the Faroe Islands. It is obvious that Torshavn, driven by a desire to demonstrate the notorious Euro-Atlantic solidarity, is ready to abandon its pragmatic stand on the international stage contrary to the fundamental interests of its own people. 

Russia has been a reliable fishing partner for the Faroe Islands for decades. For example, we provided substantial assistance to the autonomy when Copenhagen and its allies – the EU and Norway – adopted sanctions in 2013, prohibiting the Faroese vessels engaged in fishing and delivering fish products from entering their ports over differences in managing fish stocks in the North-East Atlantic

We have so far refrained from adopting countermeasures against the anti-Russia moves Torshavn has taken since 2022, hoping to maintain constructive ties in the fishing sector.

However, the latest unfriendly actions by the autonomy have put in question the Faroese sides’ commitment to the agreement concerning mutual fishery relations between the Faeroe Islands and the Soviet Union signed on November 27, 1977, undermined prospects for bilateral fisheries cooperation, and are a reason for considering appropriate response measures.