UN member states call on Russia to release Ukrainian sailors

UN member states call on Russia to release Ukrainian sailors

Ukrinform
The representatives of a number of UN member states have called on Russia to release the captured Ukrainian ships and their crew unconditionally and without delay.

The relevant statements were made by the representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Georgia, Latvia and Canada at the briefing on militarization of Crimea at the UN headquarters, an Ukrinform correspondent reported from New York.

 “We have already seen these games of Russia. They hope for the silent consent of the international community to the creeping annexation of Crimea and the attempts to change the facts of reality by force. We must prevent this from happening,” said UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jonathan Allen.

Joining the demand of United States Deputy Representative to the UN Jonathan Cohen, the British diplomat also underscored the importance of a strong demand that Russia must release Ukrainian sailors and return captured Ukrainian Navy ships.

 “The international community should stay united while calling on Russia to immediately release all 24 sailors and three ships captured,” he said and added that Russia must also ensure free passage through the Kerch strait to and from the Sea of Azov.

The representative of Lithuania agreed with him, saying that Russia must release the sailors and return Ukrainian ships “unconditionally.” The representative of Sweden joined this statement and said that Sweden fully supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The representative of Germany noted that the actions of Russia “should not go without response.”

The representatives of Poland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Georgia, Latvia and Canada in their speeches joined the demand to release Ukrainian ships and their crew unconditionally and without delay. The representative of Latvia called the Ukrainian sailors prisoners of war.

On December 5, Ukraine held meetings at the UN headquarters chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Olena Zerkal, during which she informed the international community about the challenges and threats that Russia created in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

As reported, on November 25, Russian border ships committed the acts of aggression against three Ukrainian ships heading from the port of Odesa to the port of Mariupol. The Russian special forces fired and seized three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait and 24 sailors aboard.

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