Ukraine renounces last agreements with Russia on cooperation in Sea of Azov, naval cooperation
Ships in the Sea of Azov near the port of Mariupol, December 2, 2018 (Photo:REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo)
Ukraine has renounced all agreements with Russia with regard to cooperation in the Sea of Azov, the Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported on Telegram on Feb. 24.
Parliament voted to scrap the 2003 treaty between Russia and Ukraine on cooperation in the use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, as well as an agreement on Black Sea Naval Cooperation. The first one was scrapped with 303 MPs voting in favor, with the same number of MPs voting to scrap the second one.
The explanatory note names, among the others, the following reasons for renouncing the agreements:
- Russian transformation of the Sea of Azov, which contains the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of Ukraine, into its own "inner lake";
- the seizure of the Kakhovka shipping lock on the Dnipro River;
- damage and/or sinking of commercial vessels flying different flags as well as the bombing of Ukraine's port infrastructure by the Russian Armed Forces.
Russia has launched missiles and drones from the water’s areas of the Sea of Azov since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The General Staff also reported the occupiers' attempts to renew the functioning of occupied Ukrainian sea ports.
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