On November 25, without provocation, Russia blocked the Kerch Strait in violation of international law, rammed and fired on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea, injured Ukrainian crewmen, and seized three vessels.
Now the Russians are prosecuting the detained Ukrainian personnel. Russia’s unjustified attack on Ukrainian naval vessels represents a dangerous escalation of Russia’s ongoing aggression toward Ukraine. As Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said at the UN Security Council Meeting on Ukraine: “This is no way for a law-abiding, civilised nation to act.”
Let’s be clear about the facts. Those Ukrainian naval vessels attempted to sail from one Ukrainian port to another Ukrainian port, which took them through the Kerch Strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov.
Both Russia and Ukraine use the strait regularly. But this time, Russia intensified its assault on Ukrainian sovereignty and Russia publicly admitted its attack on the Ukrainian naval vessels. Moreover, Russia has initiated criminal proceedings against the detained Ukrainians for a supposed illegal border crossing.
This is bewildering given that Crimea is Ukrainian territory, and the attack took place in Black Sea international waters. It should be noted that Russia fired on the Ukrainian naval vessels while the Ukrainians were withdrawing to their home port in Odessa, and the Ukrainians decided not to return fire.
This is only the latest attempt by Russia to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Despite continued good-faith engagement over the years by the US, the European Union, and other countries, Russia continues to violate the principles of national independence and sovereignty.
Our response to Russian aggression has been firm, but Europe must be united in responding to this European crisis
“Russia hasn’t embraced Western values of freedom and international cooperation,” US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels last week. “Rather, it has suppressed opposition voices and invaded the sovereign nations of Georgia and Ukraine.”
Russia’s attack is part of a pattern of Russian destabilising activities. In the last year, Russia’s disregard for Ukraine’s territorial integrity has extended to the sea with its ongoing harassment of international shipping to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. Russia is now pushing forward with an even more overt attack on the international order by attempting to change the status quo and establish complete control over the Sea of Azov.
The international community must respond firmly in response to Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked attack on a European partner. The US has responded by conducting a flight over Ukraine under the Open Skies Treaty.
We have issued multiple statements condemning Russia’s aggressive maritime actions and calling for Russia to immediately release the 24 detained Ukrainian personnel and the three vessels it has seized, and to keep the Kerch Strait open to vessels transiting to and from Ukrainian ports.
We have also committed to maintaining sanctions against Russia over its aggression in eastern Ukraine and attempted annexation of Crimea. As the US Secretary of State reiterated in his July 25 Crimea Declaration, the US “rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored”.
Of course, Russia’s actions in Ukraine are typical. Moscow also deployed a military-grade nerve agent here in the European Union, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention to which it is a party. And they have violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for many years.
Our response to Russian aggression has been firm, but Europe must be united in responding to this European crisis. Russia will view a weak response from the international community as a green light to take further steps to undermine Ukraine’s stability.
Mark Schapiro is Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy.
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece