Experts suggest that Asia's demand for fuel outweighs concerns about the strategic risks associated with importing oil from Russia via a 'dark fleet' of tankers, especially amid rising crude prices. There is limited political will to address these security concerns.

Asia’s fuel needs may take priority over the strategic risks of relying on oil from heavily sanctioned Russia, according to experts. Currently, there is little political appetite to treat the surge of Moscow’s crude flowing eastward through a “dark fleet” of tankers as a potential security issue. The US-Israeli war on Iran has caused the price of Brent crude – the benchmark measure – to spike to above US$100 since March, although talks with Washington have seen the price soften in recent days to...