Three former Ukrainian presidents have joined forces to oppose the motion to impose martial law in the country.
The Latest on tensions between Russia and Ukraine (all times local):
6:05 p.m.
Three former Ukrainian presidents have joined forces to oppose the motion to impose martial law in the country in the wake of Russia’s seizure of three Ukrainian ships and their crews.
Ukraine’s first president from 1991-1994, Leonid Kravchuk, read out a letter signed by him and two other former leaders, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko, objecting to the imposition of martial law.
Earlier, current President Petro Poroshenko signed a bill to impose martial law. The Ukrainian parliament is due to vote on the issue later in the day. The debate has yet to begin as some lawmakers from the opposition are seeking amendments.
In their letter, the former presidents said martial law would pose a “threat to democracy” because it will scrap the presidential vote scheduled for next year.
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5:40 p.m.
Britain is accusing Russia of an “act of aggression” in seizing Ukrainian vessels and sailors near Russian-occupied Crimea.
Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman, James Slack, says the incident is “further evidence of Russia’s destabilizing behavior in the region and its ongoing violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity.”
He says “Russia must not be allowed to use force to exert greater pressure on Ukraine.” Britain is urging all parties to show restraint.
The Ukrainian navy says six sailors were wounded when Russian coast guards opened fire on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait — the only outlet for Ukrainian vessels to the Black Sea — and then seized them. Ukraine is demanding the release of the ships and crewmen.
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
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5:35 p.m.
Spain and Germany are joining European Union calls on Russia to release Ukrainian sailors and ships seized in a Sunday standoff around Crimea that sharply escalated tensions between the two countries.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell says that his country supports the EU’s official position and that both sides should reduce tension.
“We have to stop the escalation and extension of the conflict to levels of intensity that would be dangerous,” Borrell said on Monday in Madrid, where he welcomed his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, for bilateral talks.
Maas welcomed Russia’s move to dissolve the blockade in the Kerch Strait, but called the developments in the Sea of Azov “worrying.”
“We must end this war that is going on in our neighborhood,” Maas told reporters.
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4:40 p.m.
The French government said Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian ships and their crew is not justified and urged their release immediately.
In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry urged restraint on both sides and expressed “extreme concern” about the standoff around Crimea.
In the statement, France appears to give little credence to Russia’s claims that the Ukrainian ships had violated maritime rules.
Russia and Ukraine have traded blame over the incident, in which Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait and Ukrainian seamen were injured.
The French government said the standoff stemmed directly from Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, which France doesn’t recognize and considers a violation of international law.
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4:35 p.m.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a bill to impose martial law in the country in the wake of Russia’s seizure of three ships and their crews.
The bill has to be approved by parliament for it to go into force. The Supreme Rada is due to vote on the issue later Monday.
Poroshenko proposed imposing martial law in the country after Russian border guards opened fire on three Ukrainian military vessels in the Sea of Azov.
The bill that was published by Poroshenko’s office Monday afternoon calls for martial law to be imposed for two months.
The emergency measures will, if adopted by lawmakers, include a partial mobilization, a strengthening of the country’s air defense as well as a plethora of vaguely worded steps such as the “strengthening” of anti-terrorism measures and “information security.”
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4:25 p.m.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin says the Ukrainian seamen captured by Russia in Sunday’s incident off Russian-annexed peninsula of Crimea should be treated as prisoners of war.
Klimkin told reporters in Kiev that the government is in talks with the Red Cross to make sure the seamen are treated as prisoners of war.
Six Ukrainians were injured after Russian border guards opened fire on three Ukrainian military vessels in the Kerch Strait on Sunday. The vessels and the crews were captured by the Russians.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not say whether the Kremlin considers them prisoners of war.
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4:20 p.m.
An aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda says sanctions on Russia should be stepped up following its seizure of Ukrainian navy ships.
Krzysztof Szczerski said Russia’s recent actions against Ukraine’s vessels were an “open violation” of international law and was “another attempt to destabilize the region.”
Szczerski said Poland sees the need to “take into consideration and discuss among allies the stepping up of sanctions on Russia.”
He said Duda has spoken over the phone with Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko about the naval standoff in the Black Sea.
