We are
\ndismayed at this use of force by Russia which, against the backdrop of
\nincreasing militarization in the area, is unacceptable, the 28 EU Member
\nStates said in a public statement presented by the EU High Representative for
\nForeign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, at the end of the third day of talks on
\nthe escalation of military violence between Kiev and Moscow. The Western powers
\nhave condemned Russia’s actions, calling for the release of the three vessels
\ncaptured in the Kerch strait and of the 24 Ukrainian servicemen, at present
\nunder a two-month pre-trial arrest on charges of illegal border crossing.
\nMoscow has admitted it used part of its equipment to force the Ukrainian ships
\nto a halt, while Kiev claims it had previously warned Russia that its ships
\nwould transit the area en route to Mariupol port on the Sea of Azov. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The
\npresident of the Conflict Prevention Center, Iulian Chifu, spoke about the
\nsituation in a show on Radio Romania:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The Russian
\nFederation has now opened its third battlefront with Ukraine. What’s more
\nserious is the fact that this new aggression occurred on its territory. We’re
\nnot talking here about the annexation of Crimea by means of little green men, its military aggression in Eastern Ukraine,
\nwhere they acted by means of volunteers, stray military, as Mr. Lavrov called
\nthem. Russia now considers Crimea to be its territory and is trying to assert
\nthis by annexing the Sea of Azov. It has built that bridge, which is also
\nillegal, and now it acts as if those waters are Russian property, denying
\naccess and demanding permission to anyone who wants to pass. It’s about three military Ukrainian vessels, coming from
\nan Ukrainian port and heading for another Ukrainian port, which was denied
\naccess through the Sea of Azov. The situation escalated into clashes and then fire
\nshots, claiming victims.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The
\nincident occurred near the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014 and
\nthe tension grew after 2015, when rebels supported by Moscow rose against the
\nKiev government in the eastern region of Donbas, starting a war that killed
\ndozens of people. A singular approach to the Kerch case is incorrect, no mater
\nwhom we may accuse, according to university professor Dan Dungaciu, the
\ndirector of the Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations of
\nthe Romanian Academy:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This episode is
\njust one element in a saga that started back in 2014, when the Russian Federation
\ndid what it did: it annexed Crimea, entered the eastern part of Ukraine and is
\nnow indirectly controlling two regions there. What is Kerch in fact? Before
\nCrimea’s annexation, it was just a strait between Ukraine, Crimea, which was
\npar of Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. On the Russian side, there was a
\ncommand unit checking all crossings through the strait. Now we are in the
\nsituation in which Crimea belongs to Russia too, de facto, but not de jure, and
\non the right shore there is also Russia. Therefore, Russia is controlling all
\nentrances. Adding to that was the famous bridge that the Russians built quite
\nfast. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is the bridge that links Crimea to Russia, a strategic bridge as Professor
\nDan Dungaciu said:<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
When they built that bridge, they built it at a height of 30 meters.
\nThere are many ships taller than 30 meters, which can no longer pass underneath
\nthe bridge and are stuck in the Sea of Azov, which, at present, also due to
\nthis bridge built by the Russian Federation, is more of a Russian sea. In fact,
\nthe decisive moment was 2014. They should have been criticised then and the people in the region understood very well
\nthat unless you are part of NATO or the EU there is nobody there to defend you,
\nbecause being part of the UN is not enough. So what has happened to Ukraine is
\nalso due to the inability of its political elites, of their lack of projects,
\nas for 20 years they have believed they can play both ends – the East and the
\nWest. Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are prisoners of their own false
\npolitical vision, based on a Russian saying according to which taking advantage
\nof both sides is the smart thing to do. This is how these two countries have
\nmade politics so far and have not clearly opted for NATO or the EU. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Given the recent developments, the EU has urged both sides to keep calm
\nand asked Moscow to reinstate free circulation in the Kerch strait. NATO
\nSecretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stressed that Russia is not a member of
\nNATO, whose principle is the collective defense of its members, but has pointed
\nout that the Alliance supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
\nagainst Russian threats. Meanwhile in Kiev, the Ukrainian Parliament instated
\nthe martial law for an unlimited period of time.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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