Defense Minister: Security aspects in Black Sea region need to be reviewed

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov, said this during the First Black Sea Security Conference of the International Crimea Platform, Ukrinform reports.

"The aggressor's violation of all existing international law and order principles requires us to review critical aspects of regional security. That is in the best interests of all countries in the region. We cannot rely on previous practices because they have failed," the Defense Minister said.

He pointed out that Ukraine is open to such a discussion, but only unity can guarantee the return of the rule of law, not the rule of the strong, and the unity of efforts of the free world. This would make the Black Sea peaceful.

The Ukrainian minister emphasized that the Russian war, which began more than 400 days ago, has already killed thousands of people, forced millions into refugee status, and wiped out entire cities.

"This is a military conflict on a scale that Europe has not seen in the last 80 years," the minister said.

He noted that Russian aggression made it clear to European countries that food and energy were also used as weapons. And that the war is spreading its influence far beyond direct combat operations.

At the beginning of his speech, Reznikov recalled the anniversary of the sinking of the cruiser "Moscow". "On that day a year ago, the Ukrainian Navy hit the Russian flagship cruiser, and it became a significant and popular place for divers in the Black Sea," Reznikov joked. He called it a "good symbol" of the current conference and a guarantee of its productive work.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the second (official) day of the First Black Sea Security Conference within the International Crimea Platform, which convened in Bucharest representatives from more than 50 countries and organizations, begins on Thursday.

Photo: twitter/Oleksii Reznikov