The Netherlands Court of arbitration: Ukraine accuses Moscow of violating maritime agreement

Ukraine is accusing Russia of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in the conflict over the annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea before the international court of arbitration.

Moscow is using the Crimean bridge to secure sole control over the strategically important access from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, explained Ukraine's legal representative in The Hague.

In the conflict with Moscow following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine had already appealed to the court of arbitration in 2016, but the hearing has only now been opened. Following the annexation, Russia built a 19-kilometre bridge across the Kerch Strait from the Russian mainland to Crimea. The bridge is also an important route for supplying Crimea and the Russian army in southern Ukraine.

"Russia wants control of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait," said Ukraine's representative, Anton Korynevych, to the arbitrators at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Russia is keeping international shipping out of the Sea of Azov, but is allowing smaller Russian ships to pass. "The bridge is illegal and must be demolished."

Russia called the accusations "completely unfounded and hopeless" and declared that the arbitration court had no jurisdiction. The Sea of Azov is an inland body of water and is not covered by the UN agreement. In fact, however, Ukraine is a state bordering the sea in the west and north, alongside Russia.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration was founded in 1899 to help states resolve conflicts. After the opening statements by both parties, the negotiations continue behind closed doors. It is not foreseeable when a decision will be made.

SDA