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Kerch Strait clash: martial law and a doubtful summit
Summary
A look back at the day after Ukraine's parliament approved martial law and Donald Trump questioned his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin.
What did the Kerch Strait clash change in the space of two days? By 27 November 2018, it had pushed Ukraine towards martial law and cast doubt on a planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents.
The incident took place on 25 November 2018, when the Russian Federal Security Service coast guard fired upon and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels. The ships had tried to pass from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov on their way to the port of Mariupol. It was the first time Russian forces had openly engaged Ukrainian forces during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Kyiv's response
On 25 November, an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defense Council was convened in response to the Russian blockade of the strait and the seizure of the vessels. Afterwards, President Petro Poroshenko said he would ask the Verkhovna Rada to back a declaration of martial law. Parliament was set to meet in emergency session at 4 p.m. local time on 26 November.
The Rada duly approved martial law on 26 November. It covered 10 oblasts and was to run for 30 days, starting on 28 November 2018.
Washington weighs in
On 27 November, the dispute reached the diplomatic calendar. US President Donald Trump said he might cancel his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at that week's G20 summit in Buenos Aires, citing Russia's maritime clash with Ukraine.
By the end of 27 November, then, the strait incident had produced a security measure at home for Ukraine, due to take effect the next day, and uncertainty over a high-level encounter abroad.
