Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba says, NATO must implement separate comprehensive and ambitious Black Sea strategy

He made this statement during the Second Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimea Platform.

“The Black Sea must become the sea of NATO, peace and stability. We must strengthen our security without second-guessing russia’s position. This is the strategic goal that the Alliance and the entire Euro-Atlantic community must pursue. NATO’s Baltic-Black Sea Flank will serve as a solid wall of protection against russian aggression and terror. NATO must actively implement a separate comprehensive and ambitious Black Sea strategy aimed at reducing russia’s malign influence,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Dmytro Kuleba emphasized that russia cannot be a partner in solving problems, because russia is the problem. Ukraine’s actions in the situation, when the aggressor tried to block transport routes and thereby create a food crisis, are a vivid illustration of how to resolve matters with russia.

“We did not ask moscow for permission and did not discuss with russia how to solve the problems it created. Instead, Ukraine destroyed a large portion of the russian Black Sea fleet with naval drones, liberated Snake Island and resumed its grain exports without asking russia for permission,” he said.

According to the country’s chief diplomat, russia had had ample opportunities to enter a dialogue with the Black Sea states before it occupied part of Ukrainian and Georgian territories. Instead, russia chose terror, aggression and blackmail: “Today, there’s no other language moscow understands better than the language of force. This is what they respect, anything else is seen as a weakness.”

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