Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Wednesday (June 30) According to Moscow, Russia could have sunk a British warship that illegally entered its territorial waters.
He added that he was not worried that this would trigger a third world war by Russia because, in his words, those who “provoke” know that “they cannot be the victors of this war.”
According to reports shown in photos and video clips, on June 23, more than 20 Russian aircraft and two Coast Guard ships tracked a British warship HMS Defender sailing near Crimea.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that a patrol ship fired warning shots and a jet dropped a bomb on the route of HMS Defender, about 12 miles from the coast of Crimea. However, the British side quickly downplayed the risk.
By the way, British destroyers are also quite capable of causing damage to the enemy. So basically this is a game of who wins first.
HMS Defender-a Type 45 destroyer-is part of the British aircraft carrier strike group and is currently heading to the area after the London strategy has shifted to the area. It is flying from the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa to Georgia.
Britain claimed that their ship sailed in international waters, while Russia claimed that it was within Russian territorial waters on the Crimean Peninsula. The problem here is that Western countries consider Crimea to be part of Ukraine and reject Russia’s claims on its surrounding waters.
This incident triggered tensions between Moscow and London a few days before a multinational naval exercise led by Ukraine and the United States, which was called the “sea breeze.”
Many U.S. allies participated in the exercise, and the ships participating in the exercise included the American destroyer Ross equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
This incident has hardly attracted people’s attention in most parts of the European Union. It has received some attention in EU countries close to the Black Sea. Understandably, it has received more attention in Ukraine.
The latter needs to be assured of its safety, especially in June 16th Geneva Conference Between Putin and Joe Biden. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba stated that this incident showed that Russia’s “aggressive and provocative policies” in the Black Sea and the nearby Sea of Azov constituted a “continuous threat to Ukraine and its allies.”
The Black Sea is indeed an increasingly dangerous area.
After Crimea was annexed, Odessa became Ukraine’s main naval base, often used by NATO ships. As far as Russia is concerned, it has been turning Crimea into a fortress.It has controlled Sea of Azov It also strengthened its Black Sea fleet by introducing more warships, some even equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles.
Is downgrade possible?
Russia will neither retreat the peninsula back to Ukraine, nor will the West recognize Crimea as Russia. In this case, the upgrade may continue, and the risk of new events will be permanent.
In the long run, if Turkey builds a 45-kilometer canal connecting the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea to ease traffic in the Bosphorus, the Montreux Convention of 1936 will restrict the entry of warships that do not belong to the country into the Black Sea State. Will also be circumvented.
This means bringing aircraft carriers to the Black Sea, which is prohibited by the convention.
So far, the European Union has adopted a minimalist approach to what is happening in the Black Sea region.
If you look at the blog of Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign affairs, we will see the ambition of our alliance to become… a global security provider off the coast of West Africa. Although this is also important and legal, the Black Sea is our sea, washing the coasts of the two member states.
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Summary
And one Steady decline in greenhouse gas emissions The French High Commission on Climate Change (HCC) stated that it has been observed in France in the past few years that in order to achieve the country’s 2030 climate goals, the pace of carbon reduction needs to be accelerated. EURACTIV French report.
Supreme Administrative Court of France Condemned the government’s failure Comply with the “Paris Agreement” and respond to global warming on Thursday, giving it nine months to achieve the climate goals it signed.
The European Commission announced its long-term vision for rural areas in the EU on Wednesday (June 30). Propose a rural contract and rural action plan Aims to make these regions stronger, interconnected and prosperous.
Spain joined an international campaign on Wednesday (June 30) to set a date for the closure of all coal-fired power plants by 2030 and signed a seeming goal In an advantageous position, it can be defeated drastically.
Two months before Bulgaria’s July 11 parliamentary elections, A series of corruption scandals During Boyko Borissov’s GERB party rule, the governance of the country shed light on this. According to the latest public opinion survey, the support rate for GERB is declining.
This EU Agricultural Commissioner Zeng said that he did not foresee that the member states’ common agricultural policy national plans would be rejected for failing to align with the green agreement, but relied on persuasiveness.
Facing criticism from competitors and regulators, Google has planned to implement an alternative to third-party cookies in the middle of 2023, the Joint Learning Group (FLoC), admitting that it will take more time and debate. EURACTIV French report.
After France failed to complete clinical trials and launch its own COVID-19 vaccine, President Emmanuel Macron now hopes to reverse the situation by providing a boost of 7 billion euros to the medical industry. EURACTIV French report.
Human rights organization Global Witness said that they exposed major flaws in Facebook’s ad censorship system because they managed to obtain approval for a series of political ads. Sectarian slander and violent incitement in Northern Ireland.
British engineering company Rolls-Royce said it will cooperate with oil company Shell to develop Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) In line with the two companies’ plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Last but not least, don’t forget to check our weekly The Yellow Room Podcast.
Pay close attention, beware, be careful…
- Committee Chairman Ursula von der Leyen visited Lithuania to discuss the national restoration and rehabilitation plan
- Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis held a video conference call with the Minister of Trade of the African Union
- Vice President Věra Jourová met with the Czech Association of Online Publishers and the Association of Regional Journalists
Views are author’s
[Edited by Josie Le Blond]