Russia Agrees to French and German Oversight of the Kerch Strait

On Friday, the Russian government agreed to French and German oversight of the Kerch Strait, the site of a confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian naval forces last November. On November 25, in the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which is jointly owned by Russia and Ukraine, the Russian Navy opened fire on Ukrainian ships and seized three of their vessels. According to AFP, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas that President Putin quickly agreed to Germany's request to send observers to the area. Lavrov mentioned that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had asked Mr. Putin to allow German experts to be sent to the strait 'a little over a month ago,' and later requested that French observers also join them. The Ukrainian President called on NATO to send naval forces to the Sea of Azov. Lavrov added, 'This can be implemented today, tomorrow, or at any time.' He confirmed that on Friday he received specific plans from the German Foreign Minister regarding this matter and that Moscow had also agreed to the participation of French observers. Heiko Maas, who is set to travel to Ukraine on Friday evening, stated that the two countries have not yet agreed on the exact timing for the start of this mission, but he believes 'it is likely to happen in the coming weeks.' He added that currently the Kerch Strait is open for shipping traffic, and all parties have confirmed this. He also urged Russia to release the 24 Ukrainian sailors from the seized vessels who are currently detained. The incident on November 25 was the first military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine since the annexation of Crimea and the onset of fighting in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The leaders of Germany and France expressed their concerns about the tensions in the Kerch Strait during the G20 summit held last month in Argentina. France and Germany, along with Russia and Ukraine, are members of the so-called 'Normandy Four' group formed to resolve disputes in eastern Ukraine.