On the eve of the meeting of the European Council, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko met with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel. The Head of State expressed gratitude for the efforts made by Germany to end the blockade by Russia of the waters of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, as well as for the special attention paid by the Federal Chancellor to the issue of the liberation of Ukrainian sailors and guarantee of freedom of navigation in the region.
President of Ukraine during his visit to the European Union Institute for Security Studies and NATO met with the President of European People’s Party Joseph Dole. The meeting took place in the EPP headquarter in Brussel. The Head of the State told Joseph Dole about the consequences of the escalating of the situation in the Black Sea and Kerch Straight and existing threats to regional security. President of Ukraine called on the European People’s Party to condemn the aggressive actions of Russia and to demand the restoration of freedom for navigation by all accessible means, particularly immediate and unconditional release of 24 captured sailors and 3 ships.
Petro Poroshenko pointed out the need of powerful and adequate response by the European Union to the act of aggression of Russia against Ukraine, committed on 25 November 2018 in the Sea of Azov. The President called on to respond adequately to the act of Russia’s aggression in the seawaters of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Straight and targeted obstruction of freedom of navigation by imposition of so-called “Azov package of sanctions”.