Yesterday at 23:53
The European Union, NATO, and the United Nations have all reacted to Russia’s blatant aggression in the Azov Sea.
They called on the Kremlin to allow Ukrainian vessels to pass through the Kerch strait without hindrance. They also confirmed their support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
“NATO fully supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity, including its navigational rights in its territorial waters. We call on Russia to ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian authorities. We call for restraint and de-escalation,” a NATO spokesperson said in a statement
The European Union, in its statement, also called on Russia to fully restore movement in the Kerch strait.
“The tensions in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait have increased dangerously today. The European Union expects Russia to stop the inspections. The EU does not and will not recognize the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula by Russia.”
Russia’s aggression in the Kerch Strait was condemned by Canada, Poland, Denmark, Lithuania and Germany.
The United States Congress urged President Donald Trump to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to justice for violating international law. Multiple U.S. officials have spoken and released statements about the issue.
The State Department Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, wrote that ” the U.S. condemns this aggressive action. We call on Russia to return to Ukraine its vessels and detained crew members, and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on behalf of the U.S., Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that “we stand united in opposing Russia’s attempt to discuss yesterday’s serious escalation. We strongly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders extending to its territorial waters.”
Haley called on the U.N. to reject Russia’s appeal to discuss the issue under the agenda of the “violation of the borders of the Russian Federation,” as this is what Russia had proposed, but said that the U.S. and its allies were willing to discuss the issue under an appropriate agenda.
Both Ukraine and Russia convened a meeting of the U.N. Security Council yesterday to discuss the issue in the Kerch Strait.
Russian provocations began on Nov. 25. It started with a Russian coastal guard ship ramming into a Ukrainian tugboat that was transporting two artillery boats from Odesa to Mariupol. Russia blocked access to the Azov Sea altogether and sent two Ka-52 attack helicopters to tail the Ukrainian ships. Finally, it fired on the vessels.
Russian Special Forces then seized the three Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea. Several sailors were wounded.
Poroshenko then signed a decree introducing martial law in the country. The Verkhovna Rada committee approved the decree yesterday afternoon. The Rada then voted to pass martial law in 10 regions of the country for 30 days.
Arsen Avakov, Ukrainian minister of internal affairs, posted a video that shows the Russian ship trailing the Ukrainian tugboat and ramming into it intentionally.
