Russia – Ukraine escalation of tensions – An explainer
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Russia seized three Ukrainian military vessels after they attempted to pass through the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea, Ukraine’s peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
Ukraine says the move violated the 2003 agreement between the two nations on treating the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait as shared internal waters without any restrictions.
The Kremlin claimed the Ukrainian ships entered Moscow’s territorial waters without submitting the correct transit applications that Russia introduced in recent months to “ensure safe navigation”. As tension escalated, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday signed an act imposing martial law for 30 days in regions bordering Russia, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Amid a threat of “full-scale war”, Western governments have rallied behind Kiev, accusing Russia of illegally blocking access to the Sea of Azov and using force without justification.
Reuters reported that some countries of the European Union (described as hawks) have called for more sanctions on Russia after a fresh flare-up of tensions with Ukraine but the divided bloc is not going to act swiftly, if at all, diplomatic sources said.
It adds in a sign of their long-standing divisions on how to handle President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the 28 EU states have taken three days to agree a joint statement after Russia seized Ukrainian navy vessels and sailors on Sunday. In the end the bloc issued a statement by its top diplomat Federica Mogherini on Wednesday night expressing “utmost concern about the dangerous increase of tensions” and dismay at the “unacceptable” use of force by Russia.
The three former Soviet republics sitting on the Baltic Sea coast, backed by Poland and Britain, wanted much tougher language on more sanctions looming. Several senior European politicians raised the prospect on Tuesday and U.S. President Donald Trump said he might cancel a meeting with Putin later this week over the maritime clash he described as “aggression”.
DW reports that NATO members including Germany have been asked to send naval vessels to the Sea of Azov to back Ukraine against Russia. “Germany is one of our closest allies,” President Petro Poroshenko said.
