[dropcap]U[/dropcap].S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley condemned Russia for its “outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory,” after Russia seized three Ukrainian ships and their crews.

At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, Haley described the seizure of the vessels as “an arrogant act that the international community must condemn.”

Russia fired on two Ukrainian naval ships and rammed a third vessel Sunday in the Black Sea, seizing the ships and accusing them of illegally entering its territorial waters.

Video purportedly showing a Russian vessel ramming a Ukrainian tug boat Sunday:

Ukraine’s parliament is considering President Petro Poroshenko’s call to impose martial law in the country, in the wake of the incident.

The president reduced an earlier version of a bill to propose 30 days of martial law — an apparent concession to opponents — which would allow for elections to be called as scheduled in December.

Poroshenko said Monday he wants to declare martial law “to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities amid increasing aggression and according to international law a cold act of aggression by the Russian Federation.” He added that Ukraine intends “to keep adhering to all international obligations.”

Poroshenko is demanding Russia immediately release the Ukrainian sailors and ships.

Trading accusations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of violating international norms with “dangerous methods that created threats and risks for the normal movement of ships in the area.”

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg also called on Russia on Monday to release Ukrainian navy ships saying “there is no justification” for Moscow’s actions.

“What we saw yesterday was very serious,” Stoltenberg said after an emergency meeting of the Western military alliance held on request on Ukraine

European Union chief Donald Tusk condemned Russia’s use of force and reiterated the EU would stand in support of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say at least six sailors were wounded and deny doing anything wrong. They accused Russia of military aggression.

“Such actions pose a threat to the security of all states in the Black Sea region and therefore require a clear response from the international community,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Ukraine of staging a deliberate provocation.

Sunday’s incident began when a Ukrainian tugboat set out to escort two navy ships from Odessa, on the Black Sea, through the Kerch Strait to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, in the Sea of Azov.

The Kerch Strait is the only passage between the two seas.

Ukraine said Russia used a tanker to block access to the Kerch Strait, which under a treaty is shared territory.

Russia said the Ukrainian ships were violating its waters and accuses the Ukrainians of failing to inform it that three of its ships were planning to sail through Kerch — a charge Ukraine denies.”

The Trump administration has previously warned Russia against trying to strangle the Ukrainian economy by harassing international shipping through the Kerch Strait.

Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014, claiming its ethnic Russian majority was under threat from the Ukrainian government.

Fighting between pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian troops has eased in recent months, but there are still occasional deadly flare-ups.

Russia has consistently denied sending weapons and fighters to help the separatists, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

Fern Robinson contributed.

Source: VOA

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