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'Sea of Azov situation serious’: Polish presidential aide

PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki 26.11.2018 10:30
The “situation in the Sea of Azov” is “serious” and may have far-reaching implications for both Ukraine and the entire region, the Polish president’s chief of staff said on Monday.
Krzysztof Szczerski. Photo: Maciej Biedrzycki/KPRPKrzysztof Szczerski. Photo: Maciej Biedrzycki/KPRP

Krzysztof Szczerski, chief foreign policy adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, was speaking after the Ukrainian navy said Russian special forces had seized three of its ships in the Sea of Azov on Sunday.

According to the Ukrainian navy, Russia opened fire on the ships and several Ukrainian sailors were injured in the incident.

"We consider the situation serious because it may have far-reaching consequences for both the internal politics of Ukraine and the entire region," Szczerski told Poland’s PAP news agency in an interview.

He added that no hasty moves should be made in this situation, the PAP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Twitter that an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council has been called over the escalating situation between Russia and Ukraine.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in New York at 5 pm Polish time on Monday.

A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry has accused the Ukrainian authorities of “provocation.”

The Sea of Azov is bounded by Ukraine to the north and west, and by Russia to the east. To the south it is linked by the Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea.

The Polish foreign ministry has urged Russia to respect international law and condemned Moscow’s “aggressive actions” in the Sea of Azov.

Amid escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the foreign ministry in Warsaw called in a statement for restraint on both sides.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP

tags: Russia, Ukraine
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