Denmark’s defense ministry comments on Russian blockade of Ukrainian seaports

The Danish Ministry of Defense has expressed condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine’s maritime shipment industry and support for imposing the most severe sanctions against the Russian Federation.

“It is truly a very difficult situation also in relation to Ukraine’s free movement at sea. Denmark strongly condemns Russia’s unprovoked aggression towards Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, similarly in the maritime domain,” the ministry told Guildhall.

“The Danish Government actively supports Ukraine politically, through donations of military equipment, as well as humanitarian contributions. The Danish support is based on requests from and in cooperation with the Ukrainian Authorities. Denmark works in close cooperation with the international society to assist Ukraine and encourages the toughest sanctions to be imposed on Russia,” the Danish Ministry of Defense concluded.

Earlier, the chief of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament (Folketing) Bertel Gorder, answering a question about the need to bring NATO ships into the Black Sea to ensure safe navigation, said that he hopes this is possible, at the same time stressing that he fears such step depends on peace agreements.

Earlier, a number of world politicians in the U.S. and Europe, as well as members of the European Parliament, issued statements about the need for the international community to take measures to unblock Ukrainian ports.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of using food as a weapon in the war with Ukraine. According to him, the Russian Federation is holding hostage deliveries not only to Ukraine, but also to many other countries. Blinken called on the aggressor power to cease the blockade of Ukrainian ports, which hinders traditional export routes.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag stated that it condemned the blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia, calling it a “tragedy” for the whole world. German deputies call on NATO, the EU, and the German government to increase pressure on Russia’s logistics capabilities to ensure that the Ukrainian ports are unblocked.

Former commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Member of the European Parliament, Lieutenant General Rigo Terras said an effective step could be NATO warships entering into the Black Sea to unblock the Ukrainian seaports and ensure safe merchant shipping, since Russia would not dare to attack these vessels.

Melanie Vogel, a member of the French Senate, who represents the Greens group, announced her support for demands to Russia to unblock Ukrainian seaports.

In turn, Member of the European Parliament Petras Auštrevičius of Lithuania said that the blockade is an international problem requiring international intervention to solve it. According to the MEP, the United Nations should provide a plan to address the issue, including to have ships under the UN auspices deployed in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to provide a safe convoy for transporting Ukrainian grain and agricultural products to third countries.