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Russia: We will counter any UK-Ukraine cooperation in Sea of Azov

Britain’s new 100-year partnership with Ukraine has drawn sharp rebuke from Moscow, with Russia asserting exclusive control over the Sea of Azov despite its internationally recognized status as shared waters.
byBenjamin Looijen
18/01/2025
2 minute read
A Ukrainian soldier, illustrative image. Photo: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
A Ukrainian soldier, illustrative image. Photo: Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
Russia: We will counter any UK-Ukraine cooperation in Sea of Azov

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday 18 January Ukraine and Britain “had no room” for cooperation in the Sea of Azov, commenting on a new 100-year partnership agreement between Kyiv and London the two countries’ leaders announced on Thursday 16 January.

As Britain moves to cement a century-long partnership with Ukraine, Moscow’s claim of the sea as its “internal waters” – despite bordering territory that was internationally recognized as Ukrainian before Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea – signals potential future flashpoints in the ongoing war and raises questions about freedom of navigation in crucial waterways.

The Kremlin said on Friday 17 January that any placement of British military assets in Ukraine under the new agreement would be of concern to Moscow, in particular in the Sea of Azov, which Russia considers its own, and the ministry echoed those remarks.

“Any claims to this water area are a gross interference in the internal affairs of our country and will be firmly resisted,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a comment posted on the ministry’s website.

The Azov Sea is bordered by southwest Russia, parts of southern Ukraine that Russia has seized in the war, and the Crimean peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Zakharova said the agreement itself was “worthless” for Russia, calling it “just another PR campaign” of Ukraine. Zakharova described the Sea of Azov as Russia’s “internal sea”.

British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer pledged on Thursday 16 January to work with Ukraine and allies on robust security guarantees if a ceasefire is negotiated with Russia, offering more support to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a 100-year partnership deal.

The agreement, announced in Kyiv during Starmer’s first visit as prime minister, covered several areas, including boosting military cooperation to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

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