In the wake of Putin’s recent aggressive action against the Ukrainian navy in the Sea of Azov, there has been an outpouring of support and calls to action from Ukraine’s friends and allies.  EANC and the Estonian government were among the first to speak out.

EANC responded the day after the news broke by drafting and sending letters to the editor to eighteen U.S. newspapers expressing our condemnation of the actions and calling on the U.S. government to  respond.  The letter was submitted again to the Madison, South Dakota Daily Leader by our board member there, Sirje Kiin, as an open letter to her Senator and the paper published it here.  Our Washington, DC Director,

EANC Washington, DC Director Karin Shuey (center with glasses) supporting protest at Russian embassy.  Photo credit:  Nadiya Shaporynska.

Karin Shuey also attended a protest hosted by the organizations U.S. Ukrainian Activists and United Help Ukraine in front of the Russian embassy that evening.  We continue to coordinate with our Ukrainian colleagues to make their message heard on Capitol Hill and in the Administration.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America is EANC’s Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) counterpart representing Americans of Ukrainian descent.  They have requested advocacy support in Congress on the following specific points.  Their full statement is available at this link.

• The immediate release of all 24 Ukrainian prisoners of war as well as over 70 Ukrainian political prisoners illegally held in Russian captivity;
• The deployment of naval vessels from NATO member states to Ukrainian and NATO ally ports in the Black Sea;
• The immediate return of the two unarmed Ukrainian naval artillery vessels, the Nikopol and Berdiansk, and one military tugboat, the Iany Kapu;
• Increasing military assistance to Ukraine by utilizing measures already authorized by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, which would bolster Ukraine’s naval capabilities, as with the recent transfer of the two excess Island-class cutters from the United States Coast Guard to the Ukrainian military;
• Strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation – and specifically sectoral sanctions – including banning Russia from the SWIFT international payments system, and restricting the rights of anonymously-owned “shell” companies to buy property or access the financial system;
• The announcement of a temporary ban by Ukraine’s allies on the issuance of official and business visas for citizens of the Russian Federation until such time as the captured seamen are returned.

Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and Foreign Minister Sven Mikser quickly condemned the Kremlin’s actions, as reported by ERR News on November 26^th.  President Kaljulaid said of the attack, “We have to call things by the right names – this is war in Europe. The Ukrainian people have been at war since 2014, and Crimea remains under occupation” (also reported in ERR News on November 27^th).  The Baltic Times praised the Baltic governments for “com[ing] up with the fastest and clearest statements in support of Ukraine.”   They quoted Ukrainian news source eurointegration.com.ua as saying, “The Baltic states were the most sincere and outspoken supporters of Ukraine, calling things their right names regardless of whether truth might insult the Russians.”

The U.S. Senate took quick action by passing bipartisan legislation on November 29^th to condemn Russia’s provocative actions in the Kerch Strait against the Ukrainian navy.  The resolution also:

• calls upon the Government of Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian crew members and vessels and to cease its harassment of Ukrainian and international shipping transiting the Kerch Strait;
• reaffirms the unwavering support of the people and the Government of the United States for the people of Ukraine and Ukraine’s territorial integrity; and
• calls upon the President and the entire Administration to implement an all-of-government approach to forcefully express opposition to the Russian Federation’s November 25, 2018, attack on Ukrainian forces at every opportunity.

President Trump cancelled a meeting with Putin planned on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina in response to the attack.

EANC invites Estonian Americans to contact their Senators and Representatives to echo the points outlined above by our Ukrainian colleagues.  If you do make such contact, please inform our Washington, DC director at [email protected].