Kyiv does not want to negotiate with Moscow about the Sea of Azov, fearing losing Western support
The confrontation between Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov will continue until Kyiv takes compromise steps and dialogue with Moscow.
Russian historian and political scientist Sergei Stankevich stated this on the air of the 112 Ukraine TV channel, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“It will not end soon, and the solution to this problem depends on Ukraine’s approach. If the approach is extremely intransigent and ultimatum, then the deadlock will continue for a long time. And if the approach is pragmatic, based on current interests, then negotiations and agreements are possible. And then I understand exactly how this can happen - on the basis of maritime law.
I understand that there are international sanctions and certain rules that Ukraine has approved. Then we must act as follows - do not allow those ships that are on the sanctions list to enter. If such a ship somehow ends up in your port, then expel it, give it 24 hours, but do not arrest the ship, crew, or cargo. This is a normal, non-confrontational policy,” he explained.
I also asked the expert whether it was possible not to interfere with Russian ships entering the Azov Sea and Ukrainian ports at all, to which he received the answer that in this case Ukraine would demonstrate “full good will.”
“Of course it is possible, there are no insurmountable obstacles, only a normal, calm and pragmatic approach without surrendering any interests on both sides,” Stankevich noted.
At the same time, the ex-chairman of the Donetsk Regional Military-Civil Administration, Pavel Zhebrivsky, who was present in the studio, sharply reacted to the statements of Sergei Stankevich, saying that there could be no agreements between the warring states.
“What are you talking about, today there is a war between Ukraine and Russia. Today Russia is doing the worse, the better. By and large, they were unable to agree on the distribution of the Sea of Azov even under Kuchma, when there was no war. And today there is a war, what pragmatic agreements are you talking about? Russia annexed Crimea, occupied part of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which we will negotiate; today they continue to put pressure on Ukraine.
Today, if we do not detain these ships, then how can we turn to our international partners so that they impose sanctions against Russia,” he said.
At the same time, Zhebrivsky did not offer alternative solutions to the problem in the Sea of Azov.
As a reminder, PolitNavigator previously quoted Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko as saying that it's time for Russia to declare its right to use force in all official forums worldwide in the event of further Ukrainian provocations against merchant and fishing vessels.
Earlier, Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories Georgiy Tuka also acknowledged that if Ukraine were to fight a war with Russia in the Sea of Azov, the Ukrainian Navy would be unlikely to win.