The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to intensify sanctions against Russia. The reason is a government decree from the Russian Federation dated August 22, 2025, which included the sea ports of the occupied cities of Berdyansk and Mariupol in the list of its own ports open to foreign vessels. This is stated in a comment from the Ukrainian MFA, as reported by 'Glavkom'.
The MFA of Ukraine regards Russia's actions as 'null and void' and as gross violations of international law, including:
- UN Charter, which protects the sovereignty of states;
- UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which defines Ukraine's right to regulate navigation in its waters;
- UN General Assembly resolutions that reaffirm Ukraine's sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.
Imposing new sanctions and appeals to international organizations
In this regard, Ukraine has called on its partners to impose new strict sanctions. These should be directed against Russian individuals and legal entities, as well as foreign companies and vessels that will be involved in commercial activities in these ports.
Moreover, the Ukrainian foreign ministry has appealed to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The MFA urged the IMO to inform all member states about the need to comply with the IMO Assembly resolution dated December 4, 2023. This document calls on governments to warn vessels under their flag, shipowners, and insurance companies about the ban on entering closed ports in occupied Ukrainian territories.
The events that took place have caused outrage from Ukraine and a call for other countries to increase pressure on Russia for violating international norms. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the actions of the Russian Federation as a gross violation of international law, therefore new sanctions are planned against Russian individuals and foreign companies that will operate in the occupied ports. There are also plans to appeal to international organizations in order to ensure compliance with resolutions related to maritime security.