UK Sees Ship Seizure as Show of Europe’s Role in US Security

A US Coast Guard ship approaches the Bella 1 tanker in the North Atlantic, in a video released on Jan. 7.Source: US Coast Guard

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By Ellen Milligan and Alex Wickham

January 7, 2026 at 9:15 PM UTC

Updated on

January 8, 2026 at 12:38 PM UTC

British support for the US operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker demonstrated the importance of the transatlantic security partnership, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said, even as tensions rise over President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland.

The US requested the help of the UK’s armed forces in the days leading up to Wednesday’s seizure of the M/V Bella 1 in the North Atlantic. Britain provided operational, surveillance and naval support to enable the US military to successfully board the vessel, as well as allowing UK bases to be used in preparation for the mission.