MOSCOW, 11 Feb-RIA Novosti. The proposal to NATO to carry out flights near the Russian Crimea is a blatant provocation, the alliance and everyone else should remember how the provocation of the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea near the peninsula ended a few years ago, Sergei Zheleznyak, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told RIA Novosti.
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladislav Krikliy on Wednesday, during talks with NATO Deputy Secretary of State for Defense Policy and Planning Patrick Turner, proposed using the airspace over Crimea for NATO operations to transport troops, equipment and cargo.
"The proposal to NATO to carry out flights in the vicinity of the Russian Crimea is a blatant provocation. It remains to be expected that NATO will treat such suicidal proposals with skepticism and understanding of the impossibility of using the airspace over a sovereign state for military maneuvers. Such statements by Kiev are an attempt to preserve the discussion about the ownership of the Crimea, " the deputy said.
The politician recalled that NATO, like everyone else, should remember how the provocation of the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea near the Crimea ended a few years ago. "It is not necessary to joke so dangerously with Russia. Our country will not put up with unfriendly attacks and aggressive behavior, " the parliamentarian stressed.
In November 2018, three ships of the Ukrainian Navy violated the Russian border, entered the temporarily closed waters of the territorial sea of the Russian Federation and moved from the Black Sea to the Kerch Strait. They maneuvered dangerously, disobeying the legitimate demands of the Russian authorities. Ships with military personnel were detained. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a provocation related to Poroshenko's low rating on the eve of the elections.
On September 7, 2019, the military who violated the border were handed over to Ukraine as part of the agreements on the simultaneous release of detained and convicted persons. Then, on November 18, Russia handed over the detained ships to Ukraine.