Slovakia has called on Russia to observe international law and allow free access to the Ukrainian ports situated on the shore of the Azov Sea, stated the Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry in a statement issued on Monday, in connection with an incident involving the capture of three Ukrainian vessels by Russia in the Azov Sea. "Moves leading to the escalation of tensions in annexed Crimea, in the Azov Sea and the Black Sea violate Ukraine's sovereignty and undermine security and stability in the wider region," wrote the ministry, adding that Slovakia fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognised borders. The incident in the Azov Sea took place on Sunday when Russia seized three ships when they were entering into the Kerch Strait, accusing Ukraine of illegally entering its waters. Ukraine claims that its plan to move the three ships through the sea were reported in advance.
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) is concerned about the pieces of information that have been arriving from Ukraine. In his opinion, political expressions, such as martial law, full combat readiness and declaration of war are worrying for Slovakia, which is one of Ukraine's neighbours. "It's necessary to do the utmost on the diplomatic level to maintain peace in Europe," he said. Declaring martial law in Ukraine was the country's response to the incident. In 2014 Russia annexed Crimea, which borders the Ukrainian side of the Kerch Strait, but the international community, including Slovakia, still considers Crimea to be Ukrainian territory.
