Russia responds to Turkey's Black Sea maritime security proposals

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has responded to proposals from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the protection of maritime trade in the Black Sea. Lavrov rejected the notion that Russia is responsible for the current instability, stating, “But we are not the ones who started this.”

Lavrov accused Ukraine of conducting attacks against commercial vessels, including those flying the Turkish flag, as well as tankers and ships linked to US-based companies Chevron and ExxonMobil. He further alleged that Ukraine has targeted Caspian Pipeline Consortium infrastructure and criticized Turkey and the US for not providing sufficient public condemnation of these actions.

Addressing tensions with the European Union, Lavrov warned that Russia would target vessels operating in accordance with EU policies that aim to restrict Russian revenue. He criticized the EU's practice of labeling certain ships as a “shadow fleet” and seizing cargo to fund Ukraine, describing such actions as “piracy.” Lavrov stated that Russia would determine its own targets, specifically those acting in the interests of countries that implement these policies.