Moscow’s emotions surprise Kyiv
The Tuzla affair has again come to the fore. Despite all their efforts at holding talks behind closed doors, even the diplomats hardened by hundreds of various negotiations sometimes cannot hold back emotional comments. During the recent round of Russo-Ukrainian negotiations to determine the legal status of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Kaliuzhny made an emotional statement, voicing Russia’s “concern over the fact that in the immediate vicinity of the Russian coastline completely incomprehensible works have begun to deepen the canal between Tuzla Island and the coastline of Krasnodar. This creates problems in the navigable canal. But most importantly, we are treading on the same rake.” Last week Ukraine responded to this criticism.
Kyiv is somewhat surprised at the inconsistency of the Russian side. After all, previously it was Moscow that insisted that the Tuzla issue be discussed not at news conferences but during expert negotiations. “In our view, their concern is somewhat out of tune with the constructive tone of our negotiations,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Press Service Chief Markiyan Lubkivsky said, answering The Day’s question. “We are for the continuation of the negotiations, which are very meaningful and successful as far as we can tell,” he added. Lubkivsky recalled in this connection that this issue, much like all other unresolved issues, must be solved by the parties involved over the negotiating table, adding that “any radical or perhaps emotional statements do not make this dialog any more constructive.” Lubkivsky expressed his hope that similar issues will be solved only through negotiation. “This is precisely what the experts are working for,” he concluded.
What is in fact hidden behind Moscow’s emotions and Kyiv’s tact? First of all, one must tell about the canal, the apple of discord. It will be recalled that in early December, when opening a border post on Tuzla Island, Ukraine’s Transport Minister Heorhy Kirpa spoke about the need to build a canal eighty meters wide and five meters deep between the Ukrainian island and Russian dam. Experts believe that the dam has impaired water flow from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea over the shoal between Tuzla and Taman Peninsula. A deeper canal will increase the volume of water passing through the opening between Tuzla and the dam. As a result, the speed of the current near Tuzla will decrease significantly, which could prevent further erosion of the island. As The Day has learned, the current speed has in fact decreased, which means fewer risks for Tuzla. What exactly is Russia upset about? Is it because Tuzla will be more protected from the effects of the rashly constructed dam or because Ukraine intends to turn it into a navigable canal for light vessels to relieve traffic in the Kerch-Yenikale canal?
Incidentally, in this situation Ukraine could answer Russia in kind: construction is underway on Ukrainian territory, between Ukraine’s state border and Tuzla. That Kyiv is unwilling to adopt such a tone is quite understandable and logical. Otherwise, new complications in the relationship could bring negotiations to a halt. The sides are said to have reached the point of signing a joint document on the issue. Russia and Ukraine must prepare three draft agreements on the Sea of Azov, Black Sea, and Kerch Strait before the next round of negotiations slated for early March in Kyiv. It is not ruled out that Russia’s concern will not dissipate until then. In the meantime, as The Day has learned, the Ukrainian side is preparing arguments supporting the construction of the canal.
