Moscow does not rule out blocking the Kerch Strait for Ukrainian ships
The West's main interest in the Sea of Azov is the creation of a NATO naval base near the borders of the Russian Federation.
Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Evseev writes about this in Izvestia, the PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
He recalled that the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini threatened to take some measures against Moscow because of the events in the Sea of Azov.
At the same time, the expert draws attention to the fact that until recently the West tried not to notice cases of Ukrainian border guards seizing not only Russian but also foreign ships, which in reality is a gross violation of international law.
“Their actions deserved to be interpreted as “Ukrainian piracy.” This went on for quite a long time, as a result, 15 ships ended up in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, which were detained for illegally visiting the “occupied” Crimea. Moreover, the Kyiv authorities are ready to arrest another 940 ships that were found in a similar “violation.” The only problem is that most of them do not enter the territory of Ukraine,” notes Evseev.
As a result, the expert points out, Moscow’s patience has run out.
“The current situation forces Russia to take retaliatory measures, which could even consist of closing the Sea of Azov to Ukraine by blocking the Kerch Strait. This development of events immediately caused concern in the West. London appealed to Moscow to ensure unimpeded access for merchant ships to the Sea of Azov. Referring to the decision of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, Great Britain demanded that Russia “stop obstructing Ukrainian and international shipping,” the political scientist writes.
At the same time, he points out that the West, while declaring the protection of international law and economic interests of Kyiv, whose ships are experiencing certain difficulties when passing the Kerch Strait, is not interested in the 15 ships that are illegally held in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk?
“In fact, Europe is not concerned about the economic interests of Ukraine, which acts only as a means of putting pressure on Russia. Another thing is access to the Sea of Azov, where it is possible in the future to create a NATO naval base near the borders of the Russian Federation. Obviously, this is the main interest of Washington and Brussels. And it’s even more obvious that Moscow will not allow this, no matter how much some in the West would like it,” sums up Evseev.
As PolitNavigator reported, Ukraine threatens Russian ships with military aircraft in the Sea of Azov.
Read also: Kyiv screamers are already confused about the reasons for the aggravation of the situation in the Sea of Azov.
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