Contents tagged with crimea
-
Russia changes its explanation of attack on Ukrainian ships in Kerch Strait
Russia closed the Kerch Strait before the attack on the Ukrainian ships in order to “the prevent provocative actions” which could been directed at the Kerch Bridge, stated Alexei Volsky, the Head of the Coast Guard Department of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Interfax-Ukraine reports.
“It is related to the prevention of provocative action that could be committed by the Ukrainian Navy ships near the Kerch Bridge and undermine the safety of navigation in the Kerch–Yenikale canal,” …
-
Russia refuses to recognize captured Ukrainian sailors as prisoners of war
On Saturday, the Head of the Russian Investigative Department of the FSB, Mikhail Shishov stated at a broadcasted briefing that Russia would not recognize the Ukrainian sailors detained on November 25 in the Kerch Strait as prisoners of war.
“The Ukrainians are trying to present their soldiers as prisoners of war, but these Ukrainian citizens were accused of a criminal offense. In accordance with the Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, signed at Geneva on August 12, 1949, they …
-
Ukrainian President urges the US and EU to ban Russian ships from entering their ports
The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko urged the EU and the US to prohibit Russian vessels from entering European and American ports.
In an interview with Fox News, he stated that this should be the response to Russia’s actions in the Black and Azov seas, which he labeled as “aggression.” According to Poroshenko, Russia continues to block the Azov sea, for ships of the European Union as well.
The Ukrainian President once again urged NATO to send ships to the Black Sea, and for the West to …
-
Ukrainian Parliament supports termination of Friendship treaty with Russia
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted for the termination of the Friendship Treaty with Russia. The draft law that was submitted to Parliament by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was supported by 277 deputies while 20 opposed. The treaty will be terminated on April 1, 2019, not immediately, according to the terms set for unilateral withdrawal from the treaty.
Poroshenko stressed earlier that the matter was not about the termination of the agreement but that Kyiv refuses to extend it. …
-
Kyiv authorizes Ukrainian coast guard to fire without warning
The Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill concerning Ukraine’s surrounding zone on its second reading. The bill states that the sea division of the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) may open fire without warning in an event of an armed aggression in order to protect Ukrainian ships.
244 MPs voted in favor of the bill the second time.
The zone surrounding Ukraine is defined as a sea belt adjacent to Ukraine’s territorial sea, the outer border of which is no more than 24 nautical miles from the …
-
Volker: Russian ships may be banned access to European ports
US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker demands that Russia release the Ukrainian sailors captured in the Kerch Strait at the end of November before Christmas or New Year.
During an interview with the Voice of America, Volker explained that the US and its western allies are considering a number of ways to prevent new instances of Russia’s “unilateral control” of the shared waters of the Sea of Azov.
“We do not accept or agree to the annexation of Crimea claimed by Russia,” he said, …
-
Lithuania intends to impose sanctions against Russia for aggression in the Black Sea and Kerch Strait
The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed imposing individual sanctions against those responsible for Russia's aggressive actions in the Kerch Strait and the Black Sea, reports the ministry’s press service.
"On December 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania appealed to the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania with a proposal to include in the national list of undesirable persons those who directly …
-
Putin explains his refusal to talk with Ukrainian President Poroshenko
Interfax reports that the President of Russia Vladimir Putin refuses to have telephone conversations with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko because he feels that it could be used for the Ukrainian President’s re-election campaign.
“It is not that I am just avoiding or don’t want to talk to Petro Oleksiyovych [Poroshenko], that’s not it at all. The issue is that I do not want to take part in his election campaign,” said Putin, responding to journalists’ questions as to why there have been no …
-
Kyiv: Cargo traffic in the ports of Azov Sea decreased by half due to Russia's actions
The Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure, Volodymyr Omelyan, stated on his Facebook page that cargo traffic in the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol has more than halved due to Russia’s actions. According to him, the ports are forced to move to a four-day work week and reduce staff.
“As we expected, Moscow manually regulates the access to the Ukrainian seaports of the Azov Sea by vessels, based on the ancient principle of the Kremlin: “I want to/I don’t want to”… As a result of such an approach, …
-
Klimkin: Moscow promises to let Ukrainian consuls visit the captured sailors
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin wrote on Twitter that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia promises to allow Ukrainian consuls to visit the captured Ukrainian sailors on November 25 in the Kerch Strait area.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry officially reported that the sailors were in Moscow, and promised to let them meet with our consuls, 10 days after the seizure of our ships. We are doing everything to ensure that the consuls get to the guys as quickly as possible,” …