AFP, Moscow :
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed “serious concern” over Ukraine’s decision to impose martial law, the Kremlin said today, after a confrontation at sea between the two countries.
In a phone conversation with German’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin also said he hoped the German leader could intervene to rein in Kiev.
The President has “expressed a serious concern over Kiev’s decision to put its armed forces on alert and to introduce martial law,” the Kremlin said in a statement following the call
Mr Putin added he hoped “Berlin could influence the Ukrainian authorities to dissuade them from further reckless acts,”.
A fresh crisis unfolded on Sunday when Russian forces boarded and captured three Ukrainian ships, with Moscow accusing the vessels of illegally entering Russian waters off the coast of Crimea in the Sea of Azov.
The surge in tensions prompted the Ukranian parliament to vote yesterday in favour of martial law in border areas for 30 days.
Moscow has accused Kiev of planning Sunday’s confrontation as a provocation aimed at drumming up support for Poroshenko ahead of elections next year and convincing Western governments to impose further sanctions on Russia.
In a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin expressed “serious concern” over the introduction of martial law, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin said Kiev’s actions were “clearly taken in view of the election campaign in Ukraine”.
He said he hoped Berlin could intervene with Ukrainian authorities “to dissuade them from further reckless acts”.
Sunday’s incident has been playing out on Russian and Ukrainian television screens, with dramatic footage of Russian ships chasing down a Ukrainian tugboat that was trying to pass through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov.
Britain, Canada, France, Germany and others expressed support for Kiev on Monday, with EU President Donald Tusk calling for Russia to return the Ukrainian sailors and ships and “refrain from further provocations”.
