07:49Russia rejected Ukraine's claims that the Crimean bridge was 'unlawful', calling all of them 'baseless' and arguing the bridge was a 'solution' to ensure supplies could reach the Crimean peninsula amid the ongoing conflict, as arbitration hearings on a sea dispute between the countries opened at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on Monday.
"The bridge is unlawful and it must come down. The Kerch Strait should be returned to its stages before this illegal threat to navigation began," Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych said as he demanded that Russia must be held accountable for its alleged 'violations of the Law of the Sea'.
"Unfortunately Russia never intended to work cooperating with Ukraine. Russia illegally takes what it wants, rewrites international law to its liking and then demands that tribunals accept what it says, as it has always done," he continued.
"Russia had to urgently find a solution to save Crimea from starvation, degradation of agriculture and civil infrastructure and to supply the population with base necessities. The construction of the Crimean bridge was a solution. Ukraine want to destroy this bridge in order to once again cut off Crimea from the mainland and subject its population to the effects of Ukraine's continuing blockade," Russian representative Gennady Kuzmin argued.
The proceedings started in 2016 by Kiev after Russia started building the Crimea Bridge which links Russia's mainland to the Crimean peninsula, home of the Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine argues that Russia wants to assert complete control over the strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
"Ukraine itself has officially acknowledged the internal and historic status of the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait on numerous occasions, both in treaties and in political declarations. Such status was particularly confirmed by the bilateral treaty on cooperation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait in the joint statements of the presidents of Ukriane and Russia. At the time of signature of the treaty the Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma explicitly stated, I quote: 'The Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait are historically internal waters of the Russian Federation and Ukraine'," the Russian representative further said.
He concluded his statement demanding that Ukraine's claims should be dismissed and fell outside of the court's jurisdiction. In 2020, the PCA ruled that Ukraine had to refile their case after Russia argued Ukraine was using the body to rule on the status of Crimea.
The hearings are scheduled to run until October 5 while a ruling could take months or longer.
'Solution to save Crimea' - Russian rep as Ukraine claims Kerch bridge 'unlawful' during arbitration hearing on sea dispute
Russia rejected Ukraine's claims that the Crimean bridge was 'unlawful', calling all of them 'baseless' and arguing the bridge was a 'solution' to ensure supplies could reach the Crimean peninsula amid the ongoing conflict, as arbitration hearings on a sea dispute between the countries opened at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on Monday.
"The bridge is unlawful and it must come down. The Kerch Strait should be returned to its stages before this illegal threat to navigation began," Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych said as he demanded that Russia must be held accountable for its alleged 'violations of the Law of the Sea'.
"Unfortunately Russia never intended to work cooperating with Ukraine. Russia illegally takes what it wants, rewrites international law to its liking and then demands that tribunals accept what it says, as it has always done," he continued.
"Russia had to urgently find a solution to save Crimea from starvation, degradation of agriculture and civil infrastructure and to supply the population with base necessities. The construction of the Crimean bridge was a solution. Ukraine want to destroy this bridge in order to once again cut off Crimea from the mainland and subject its population to the effects of Ukraine's continuing blockade," Russian representative Gennady Kuzmin argued.
The proceedings started in 2016 by Kiev after Russia started building the Crimea Bridge which links Russia's mainland to the Crimean peninsula, home of the Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine argues that Russia wants to assert complete control over the strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
"Ukraine itself has officially acknowledged the internal and historic status of the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait on numerous occasions, both in treaties and in political declarations. Such status was particularly confirmed by the bilateral treaty on cooperation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait in the joint statements of the presidents of Ukriane and Russia. At the time of signature of the treaty the Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma explicitly stated, I quote: 'The Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait are historically internal waters of the Russian Federation and Ukraine'," the Russian representative further said.
He concluded his statement demanding that Ukraine's claims should be dismissed and fell outside of the court's jurisdiction. In 2020, the PCA ruled that Ukraine had to refile their case after Russia argued Ukraine was using the body to rule on the status of Crimea.
The hearings are scheduled to run until October 5 while a ruling could take months or longer.
Russia rejected Ukraine's claims that the Crimean bridge was 'unlawful', calling all of them 'baseless' and arguing the bridge was a 'solution' to ensure supplies could reach the Crimean peninsula amid the ongoing conflict, as arbitration hearings on a sea dispute between the countries opened at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on Monday.
"The bridge is unlawful and it must come down. The Kerch Strait should be returned to its stages before this illegal threat to navigation began," Ukrainian representative Anton Korynevych said as he demanded that Russia must be held accountable for its alleged 'violations of the Law of the Sea'.
"Unfortunately Russia never intended to work cooperating with Ukraine. Russia illegally takes what it wants, rewrites international law to its liking and then demands that tribunals accept what it says, as it has always done," he continued.
"Russia had to urgently find a solution to save Crimea from starvation, degradation of agriculture and civil infrastructure and to supply the population with base necessities. The construction of the Crimean bridge was a solution. Ukraine want to destroy this bridge in order to once again cut off Crimea from the mainland and subject its population to the effects of Ukraine's continuing blockade," Russian representative Gennady Kuzmin argued.
The proceedings started in 2016 by Kiev after Russia started building the Crimea Bridge which links Russia's mainland to the Crimean peninsula, home of the Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine argues that Russia wants to assert complete control over the strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
"Ukraine itself has officially acknowledged the internal and historic status of the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait on numerous occasions, both in treaties and in political declarations. Such status was particularly confirmed by the bilateral treaty on cooperation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait in the joint statements of the presidents of Ukriane and Russia. At the time of signature of the treaty the Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma explicitly stated, I quote: 'The Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait are historically internal waters of the Russian Federation and Ukraine'," the Russian representative further said.
He concluded his statement demanding that Ukraine's claims should be dismissed and fell outside of the court's jurisdiction. In 2020, the PCA ruled that Ukraine had to refile their case after Russia argued Ukraine was using the body to rule on the status of Crimea.
The hearings are scheduled to run until October 5 while a ruling could take months or longer.