Russian lawmaker Andrei Kolesnik has called for Ukraine to be stripped of its access to the Black Sea, telling state news agency TASS that Moscow should take total control of the regional maritime waters.
Kolesnik, a deputy in the State Duma, suggested that Ukraine should only be permitted to navigate the Black Sea if Russia controls the waterway and charges fees for access.
Speaking to TASS, Kolesnik used a phrase about trousers to argue that Ukraine historically lacked access to the coast. He stated that during the Pereyaslav Rada more than 300 years ago Ukraine joined Russia without a sea, adding that it came without trousers and should leave without trousers.
Historical Claims and Maritime Control
Despite calling for an end to independent Ukrainian access to the Black Sea, Kolesnik said it is unnecessary to ban Ukraine completely from using the waters. Instead, he emphasized that Russia must supervise all maritime activity and collect payments from Ukrainian ships using the area.
The State Duma is the lower house of the Russian parliament in Moscow, while TASS is Russia's principal state news agency. The Pereyaslav Rada refers to the 1654 historical council where Cossack leaders pledged allegiance to the Russian Tsar. The Black Sea is a key strategic body of water bordered by Eastern Europe and Western Asia, providing critical maritime shipping routes for international trade.
Port Blockade Threatens Ukrainian Economy
The deputy's remarks follow earlier warnings from Kyiv regarding the impact of naval blockades on national output. Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky previously stated that Ukraine's gross domestic product could fall by five percent as a result of the blockade of ports by the Russian Armed Forces.
Ukraine is a major global supplier of agricultural goods, including grain, corn and sunflower oil, which are predominantly exported through major Black Sea ports such as Odesa. Disruptions to maritime transport prevent shipping vessels from leaving port, reducing national revenue and placing heavy economic pressure on the country.
