President Zelensky has enacted the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine
on the new Maritime Security Strategy of Ukraine.
This is an important step and the result of fruitful work of experts, which brings Ukraine closer to becoming a truly maritime state. The text of the decision states that the sphere of Ukraine’s national interests at sea extends to the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, the sea coast within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine, rivers flowing into the Azov-Black Sea basin, the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea. The sphere of national interests includes the maritime space of the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as other areas of the world’s oceans to which Ukraine’s economic and other interests extend.
One of the main objectives in ensuring Ukraine’s maritime security specified in the document is the de-occupation of the temporarily occupied coast, areas of internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive (maritime) economic zone and continental shelf of Ukraine.
Importantly, the only strategic document of the Russian Federation that Putin approved during the full-scale war with Ukraine was the Maritime Strategy of the Russian Federation, which shows Putin’s strategic direction and priorities.
Experts from the committee and IFIs, the NSDCU apparatus, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and many others worked on this Strategy.
The text of the Strategy is available at the link.