Four Countries Addressed Russian Regarding Ukraine

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden released a joint statement urging Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov and allowing freedom of navigation. The statement is published on the official site of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It states that the ministers strongly condemn “the clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity by acts of aggression by the Russian armed forces since February 2014.” Diplomats also emphasized that they will not recognize the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. The foreign ministers underscore the importance of achieving a sustainable political solution to the conflict based on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements and call on Russia to fully assume its responsibility in this regard. “We take note of the return to Ukraine of the vessels illegally captured by Russia in 2018 and call on Russia to comply with its international commitments by ensuring unhindered access to Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov and allowing freedom of navigation”, stressed the MFA leaders of the four countries. Lenta.ru