You're reading: Grybauskaite: Sea of Azov isn’t Russia’s territory

Russia must comply with international agreements on shipping in the Sea of Azov and ensure the free use of the Kerch Strait, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has said.

“We would like to remind once again that the Sea of Azov is not a territory of Russia, and all international agreements operate there. And Russia, like all others, must comply with international agreements. If not, we will always help, support Ukraine, and we will increase our military presence. We must ensure free movement through the [Kerch] Strait … we also must comply with all agreements that are in effect for international waters,” Grybauskaite said at a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv on Friday.

She condemned the act of aggression against the Ukrainian sailors in neutral waters in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas.

In turn, President of Ukraine Poroshenko noted that the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, which ignores the Minsk agreements, and aggravates the situation in the Black and Azov Seas is “a direct threat to European security and the whole democratic world.”