Ukraine-Russia, or the Threat of “Total War”

On Sunday, November 25, in the Azov Sea, three Ukrainian ships were targeted by Russian fire. According to Moscow, they had entered their territorial waters without taking into account the requests of the Russian border guards. The 24 sailors of the crew are taken prisoner. An event that has rekindled tensions in this particularly sensitive region since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. More than 10,000 people were killed in the armed conflict.

A few months before the presidential elections in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has imposed martial law for 30 days and called on NATO to send ships to this area. Russia, which controls the Kerch Strait, has imposed a blockade that prevents free movement between the Azov Sea and the Black Sea for Ukrainian ships.

The European Union, which is not considering new sanctions for Russia, has asked to restore the passage through the Kerch Strait. While Donald Trump cancelled his meeting with Vladimir Putin during the G20.

Russian aggression? Ukrainian provocation? In either case, the scenario is not reassuring….

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