Russia terminates 2012 maritime safety agreement with Ukraine

The relevant decree on this matter was signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

"In accordance with Article 37, Section 1 of the federal law 'On International Agreements of the Russian Federation,' the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, signed in Moscow on March 20, 2012, expires," the decree states.

The agreement between Russia and Ukraine on measures to ensure the safety of navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait was signed in 2012. Its aim was to regulate the rules for using these waters, which constitute an important transport route for both countries.

The agreement specified, among other things, the rules for ships passing through the Kerch Strait and issues related to the control and monitoring of navigation. Under this agreement, Russia committed to cooperating with Ukraine to ensure maritime safety, which aimed to minimize the risk of collisions and incidents in shared waters.

However, with increasing political tensions and military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, this agreement became controversial. Russia began imposing increasingly restrictive navigation controls in the Kerch Strait, leading to limitations on the free passage of Ukrainian and international ships. These actions were seen as a violation of the agreement and as an attempt to exert pressure on Ukraine.

As a result, the situation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait has become one of the key contentious points in Russian-Ukrainian relations, with serious consequences for regional security and trade.