The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a firm rebuke to a newly signed agreement between the United Kingdom and Ukraine, declaring that neither country has any legitimate role in the Azov Sea. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the bilateral agreement, which aims to bolster defense infrastructure and maritime security cooperation, as both “insignificant” and an affront to Russia’s sovereignty.

Signed on January 16 by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, the agreement commits the UK to providing substantial military and logistical support to Ukraine. However, Moscow’s response underscores the escalating tensions over control of the strategically significant Azov-Black Sea region. Zakharova’s remarks make it clear that Russia views the Azov Sea as an integral part of its territory, a position solidified by recent territorial annexations.

The agreement between Ukraine and the UK outlines plans for the construction and maintenance of military bases, logistics depots, and reserve stockpiles on Ukrainian soil. Additionally, it calls for a strategic partnership in maritime security aimed at enhancing safety in the Baltic, Black, and Azov Seas. While London frames the agreement as a long-term commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and regional stability, Moscow sees it as a provocative intrusion into its sphere of influence.

According to Zakharova, the agreement reflects Britain’s “long-standing desire” to establish a foothold in the Azov-Black Sea basin, a region critical to Russia’s geopolitical and economic interests. She issued a stark warning: “There is no place for either Ukraine or the UK for cooperation in the Sea of Azov.”

Bordering Crimea to the south, the Russian mainland to the east, and the former Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson to the north and west, the Azov Sea has long........

© Blitz