Klimkin: Ukraine will Address the Issue of Russian Transit in Accordance with International Law
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, stated that Kiev will address the issue of the blockage of Russian trucks at the border in accordance with international law, but also in terms of Ukrainian national interests, Interfax reported.
“Each aspect should be considered separately on the basis of the rules of international law. We are a State based on the rule of law and we will not act like Russia; but at the same time, we will take care of our interests. Russia will not be able to simply utilize transit lines through Ukraine to the European Union,” Klimkin stated. He added that consultations with the European Union on this issue are ongoing.
According to him, there are a lot of nuances in solving this problem. “There is an issue on transit to the European Union. There is an issue on transit to Moldova because Moldova has its enterprises in Russia,” Klimkin noted. He also noted that the Cabinet of Ministers considered the issue on the blocking of Russian trucks by public organizations in a number of areas in Ukraine on the 15th of February.
On February 14th, activists of nationalist organizations created a blockade of Russian trucks throughout the western border of Ukraine and also in the Zhitomir region. In response, Russia has imposed a temporary ban on the movement of Ukrainian trucks through its territory.