Ukraine, Russian hold consultations on liberation of captured sailors in The Hague

"An interesting observation after today’s exchange of views with the Russian Federation on the release of Ukrainian seamen and ships. I was amazed by a radical change in the tone of a conversation - transition from rudeness and brutal neglect to a civilized language typical of diplomacy," commented Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal, an Ukrinform correspondent reports from The Hague.

It is unknown whether this is a change in Russian tactics, or a mere desire to delay the consultation process, the official noted.

"In any case, that did not affect the position of the parties regarding our sailors and ships. The arguments we’ve heard from Russia today only confirmed our starting position that it is the application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that guarantees the immunity of our military ships and their crewmembers," Zerkal said.

According to her, the exchange of views confirmed the existence of a legal dispute between the parties regarding the application of international maritime law. This fact is the cornerstone for the judicial examination of this dispute.

"We expect the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to confirm our claims. The date of the hearings in Hamburg [according to preliminary data, on May 6-7] will be announced today or tomorrow," Zerkal said.

By that time, Russia has the opportunity to voluntarily release Ukrainian sailors and ships and eliminate its violations of international law.

As reported, on April 16, Ukraine initiated a new lawsuit against Russia and appealed to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea over the application of interim measures against the Russian Federation in order to immediately release three Ukrainian ships and 24 crewmembers that had been illegally captured and detained by Russian officers in the Black Sea on November 25, 2018.

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