US, Ukraine navy heads meet after Russia ship seizure

The head of the Ukrainian navy is meeting his US counterpart this week in Washington, where they will discuss the Russian navy's recent seizure of three Ukrainian vessels, a US official said Thursday.

Russian ships last month opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels as they tried to pass through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, and detained the 24 Ukrainian crew members.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said Ukraine's Admiral Ihor Voronchenko is meeting Thursday and Friday with US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Nicholson.

Nicholson and other Pentagon officials "will reiterate the US support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters, as well as the right of its vessels to traverse international waters," Pahon told AFP.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier this month blasted the Russian navy's "brazen" violation of a treaty that allows both Russian and Ukrainian ships free passage in the Kerch Strait.

Pahon said the US government supports "Ukraine in its pursuit of a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the ongoing Russian aggression, including Russia's recent unprovoked attack on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea."

Ukraine's foreign minister on Thursday called for a speedy international response to Russia's "aggression" after it seized the three Ukrainian navy ships and 24 sailors.

The confrontation at sea on November 25 was the first open military incident between Kiev and Moscow since 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and a conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russia separatists and government forces, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

NATO to send Ukraine secure comms amid Russia standoff
Brussels (AFP) Dec 13, 2018 - NATO announced on Thursday that it will supply Ukraine with secure communications equipment by the end of the year to help Kiev combat destabilisation efforts by Russia.

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg praised Ukraine for its "calm and restraint" during the recent naval standoff with Russia in the Azov Sea and said NATO support for Kiev would continue.

After talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Stoltenberg repeated a call for Russia to free sailors seized in the Azov Sea clash last month.

"Today, I told President Poroshenko that we will deliver secure communications equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the end of this year," Stoltenberg said.

"We are also supporting Ukraine to improve its naval capabilities, logistics and cyber defence."

Earlier this week the EU said Russia had prepared the ground for the sea clash with a year-long campaign of disinformation about Kiev and NATO's plan for the Azov Sea.

Stoltenberg took aim at Russia's "destabilising behaviour", particularly in Ukraine where a conflict rages in the east between the government and separatists supported by Moscow.

"We see that in eastern Ukraine where ceasefire violations are reported daily, including with weapons banned under the Minsk Agreements," Stoltenberg said.

The Minsk agreements were struck to end the conflict, which began following the annexation of Crimea by Russia, but they have not been successful.

Stoltenberg also said that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission in Ukraine was facing restrictions.

"They are regularly prevented from moving freely and their observation drones are jammed and shot down," Stoltenberg said.

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