On Thursday, February 20, during the UN General Assembly meeting, dedicated to the “situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” EU Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Silvio Gonzato condemned the militarization of Crimea and called on the Russian Federation to ensure unhindered passage through the Sea of Azov in accordance with the international law. This was reported by Ukrinform.
"Russian militarization of the Crimean peninsula continues to have a negative impact on the security in the Black Sea region and beyond. We continue to urge Russia to ensure unhindered passage through the Sea of Azov in accordance with the international law," Gonzato said, adding that Russia has a negative impact on the environment in Crimea.
Gonzato also called on the Kremlin to immediately release Ukrainian fishermen and return the boat, which was detained in the Sea of Azov on February 15.