Why the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Is Now Flaring at Sea
The incident threatens to disrupt a key shipping chokepoint and reignite a simmering conflict.
Almost five years into a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, tensions have flared again. The latest clash was at sea, where Russian forces fired on Ukrainian warships in the strategic Kerch Strait, injuring servicemen and capturing three vessels with their crews. The incident threatened to disrupt a key shipping chokepoint and reignite a simmering conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Citing the unresolved standoff, U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
No. Even as Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko vowed to punish Russia and introduced martial law, he made it clear that this doesn’t mean war and promised that Ukraine wouldn’t go on a military offensive. The fear of a full-blown war between Ukraine and Russia has been ever-present since the conflict started in 2014.