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West Rallies Behind Ukraine, Calls On Russia To Release Detained Sailors
By RFE/RL
Western nations have rallied behind Ukraine after Russia fired on Ukrainian ships and seized 23 sailors in the Black Sea off the coast of the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula.
At the United Nations and in statements issued late on November 26, Western leaders condemned what they described as Russia's "outrageous" violation of Ukraine's sovereignty as well as international maritime treaties, and called on Moscow to immediately release the detained sailors.
In the November 25 naval clash off the coast of Crimea, annexed by Russia in March 2014, Russian coast-guard ships opened fire before special forces stormed the Ukrainian vessels. Six Ukrainians were injured.
Ukraine declared martial law in part of the country following what it called Russia's "act of aggression." Moscow said the ships had illegally entered its waters.
The clash comes as Ukrainian forces are fighting Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned “this aggressive Russian action" and called on Moscow to return the vessels and sailors and abide by Ukraine's "internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters."
Pompeo added that both sides should "exercise restraint and abide by their international obligations and commitments" and said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko should "engage directly to resolve this situation."
Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called the incident an "outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory" and a "reckless Russian escalation" of its conflict with Ukraine.
Britain's Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Allen said Russia "wants to consolidate its illegal annexation of Crimea and annex the Sea of Azov,” where Ukraine has several ports.
The international community will not accept this, he said, insisting that Russia “must not be allowed to rewrite history by establishing new realities on the ground."
Their comments came as Ukraine's parliament approve Poroshenko's request to establish martial law in areas of the country most vulnerable to “aggression from Russia” over a 30-day period starting on November 28.
The measure includes a partial mobilization of forces, a strengthening of Ukraine's air defenses, and other unspecified steps "to strengthen the counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and countersabotage regime."
Putin expressed "serious concern" over the Ukrainian decision in a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Kremlin said on November 27.
The Russian leader also said he hoped "Berlin could influence the Ukrainian authorities to dissuade them from further reckless acts," a statement said.
Meanwhile, Russian state-run TV channel Rossiya 24 showed images of several of the detained Ukrainian sailors that were apparently recorded during interrogations by Russia’s security services.
One of them parroted the version of events put forward by Russian authorities, saying, "The actions of the Ukrainian armed vessels in the Kerch Strait had a provocative character."
One of the seamen appeared to be reading his statement. Russian law enforcement agencies frequently provide state media with footage of suspects being questioned under duress.
Calling Russia's capture of Ukrainian seamen "unacceptable," the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, urged Russia to "immediately release" them and provide them with medical aid.
She also called on both sides to use "utmost restraint" to prevent the only live war in Europe from escalating.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia “has to understand that its actions have consequences. We will remain in contact with the Ukrainian government to underline our support."
While other U.S. officials took a strong stand behind Ukraine, President Donald Trump seemed more equivocal.
"Either way, we don't like what's happening. And hopefully they'll get straightened out. I know Europe is not -- they are not thrilled. They are working on it, too. We are all working on it together," Trump said.
Russia's acting UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, accused the Ukrainian Navy of "staging an aggressive provocation," which he claimed was aimed at drumming up public support for Poroshenko ahead of Ukraine's presidential election in March.
"They have no hope to remain in power otherwise," he said, while condemning Western leaders for condoning what he called their "puppets" in Kyiv.
"I want to warn you that the policy run by Kyiv in coordination with the EU and the U.S. of provoking conflict with Russia is fraught with most serious consequences," Polyansky said.
At the outset of the UN Security Council meeting on the incident, Russia suffered a setback after it sought to discuss the clash under an agenda item that described the incident as a violation of Russia's borders.
This was rejected in a procedural vote, with only China, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan siding with Russia. The Security Council then discussed the clash under terms laid out by Ukraine.
The naval confrontation took place as the Ukrainian vessels were approaching the Kerch Strait, the only access to the Sea of Azov.
A 2003 treaty between Russia and Ukraine designates the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov as shared territorial waters.
But Moscow has been asserting greater control since its takeover of Crimea -- particularly since May, when it opened a bridge linking the peninsula to Russian territory on the eastern side of the Kerch Strait.
"I have to emphasize that, according to the international law, Crimea and respective territorial waters are the Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation," Ukraine's UN Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko told the Security Council.
"Hence, there are no Russian borders in the area where the incident happened. I repeat -- there are no Russian state borders around the Crimean Peninsula," he said.