June 22, 2026

Let the Law of the Sea Decide


Let the Law of the Sea Decide
According to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Russia has done no wrong.  The Russian Life files.

A unanimous ruling by a five-member tribunal in the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration delivered a major legal windfall in legitimizing Russia’s maritime claims to the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait. The independent panel consisted of arbitrators from the UK, Mexico, Algeria, South Korea, and Russia.

The Russian Foreign Ministry declared the case a significant failure for Ukraine and the West, taking evident pride in legally flexing its sovereignty over Crimea and the surrounding waters. Every one of the claims brought by Ukraine was rejected, including the request to control the area’s fishing and hydrocarbon resources, and to be awarded reparations for damages wrought by Russia. A charge of Russia causing environmental damage to the waterways was dismissed.

Furthermore, the attempt to classify the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov as international waters was denied. The Kerch Strait is a strategic waterway connecting the Black and Azov Seas and separates Crimea to the west and Russia's Krasnodar Krai to the east. With the Kerch Strait now legally under Russian jurisdiction, the passage of ships from any country (including warships) comes at the discretion of Russian border guards.

An additional decision sided with Russia, supporting the Crimean Bridge, a 12-mile road-and-rail artery that crosses the Kerch Strait. The Ukrainian delegation raised objections that the bridge impedes navigation of the waters. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry replied that Ukraine's assertion “revealed the inhumane nature of the Kyiv regime, which continues to seek to punish the Crimeans for their choice in favor of Russia.”

Russia’s restrictions on foreign maritime activity in the Black Sea were also ruled to fully comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. 

The Permanent Court of Arbitration was established in 1899 to settle disputes between states, especially when diplomacy fails. Decisions made in the court are legally binding and there is no avenue for appeal.

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