According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Kiev and Ankara are the stabilizing forces of the Black Sea region. In May, he accused Russia of strengthening its military presence in the Sea of Azov and blocking trade routes there.
Dmitry Kuleba
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba during a speech at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum called Kiev and Ankara forces that stabilize the Black Sea region, according to the ministry’s website.
According to Kuleba, ” The Black Sea is now full of threats due to the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia.” “But Ukraine and Turkey are the two geographically most stabilizing forces in the Black Sea region,” the minister said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister added that his country cooperates with Turkey “in almost all areas”, one of them is energy. Kuleba added that Kiev expects the completion of the construction of the Turkish Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), which will connect the Black and Mediterranean Seas. He called the pipeline one of the elements of strategic energy stability, adding that TANAP will create new opportunities for the supply of liquefied natural gas to the countries of the Black Sea region.
Kuleba also said that the Russian gas pipeline “Nord Stream-2” undermines the energy security of Europe. According to the minister, the only goal of the project is to bypass Ukraine for political reasons, because from an economic and strategic point of view, gas should be supplied from Russia to the European Union through its territory.
In early May, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced the threat of “creeping annexation” from Russia in the Sea of Azov: according to the politician, the Russian side is strengthening its military presence there and blocking trade routes.
Russia suspended the passage of foreign warships and other state-owned vessels in three areas of the Black Sea from April 24 to the end of October. The Kerch Strait and its approaches were not included in the zone. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry protested, calling Russia’s actions a violation of the right to freedom of navigation guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Ministry pointed out that according to the Convention, ” Russia should not hinder or hinder transit passage through the international Strait to ports in the Sea of Azov.”