Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the fate of 24 Ukrainian sailors held in Russia since last year should be tied to the release of Russians held in Ukraine that Moscow wanted to be freed.
The Russian navy captured the Ukrainian sailors and their three vessels in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, on Nov. 25, 2018, after opening fire on them.
“Issues like this one should not be resolved in isolation,” Putin said.

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Putin – fate of captured Ukrainian sailors must be tied to jailed Russians

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron demanded on Friday that Russia release Ukrainian sailors who were seized along with their ships last month, <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2018/12/28/merkel-macron-demand-russia-release-ukrainian-seamen">Euronews</a> reports.
Moscow accused the 24 sailors of illegally crossing the Russian border. Ukraine said Russia captured the two small gunboats and one tugboat illegally and accused Moscow of military aggression.
&#8220;We demand safe, free and unimpeded transit for all ships through the Kerch Strait and the immediate and unconditional release of all illegally detained Ukrainian seafarers,&#8221; Merkel and Macron said in a joint statement.

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Merkel, Macron demand Russia release Ukrainian seamen

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<div class="simple-menu"> Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with the families of Ukrainian sailors who were captured by Russia. One of them, Vasyl Soroka, was wounded during the capture and his family has been unable to communicate with him. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/families-of-detained-ukrainian-sailors-search-for-answers/4689933.html">For VOA,</a> Oksana Ligostova met with Vasyl&#8217;s family in the Odessa region of Ukraine and has this report, narrated by Anna Rice.</div>
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Families of Detained Ukrainian Sailors Search for Answers

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U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volkers says Russia needs to release the Ukrainian sailors taken captive in the Kerch Strait in late November by Christmas or &#8220;before the New Year.&#8221;, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/us-diplomat-russia-should-release-ukrainian-sailors-by-christmas-/4688911.html">VOA news</a> reports.
Volkers spoke with VOA on Monday in Washington, explaining that the United States and its Western allies are considering a number of options to prevent Russia from asserting any more &#8220;unilateral control&#8221; in the shared waters of the Azov Sea.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t accept and will not accept Russia&#8217;s claimed annexation of Crimea,&#8221; he said, underlining the stance that the United States has taken since Russia&#8217;s so-called annexation of eastern Ukraine&#8217;s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Noting that the waters of the Azov Sea are subject to a bilateral arrangement between Ukraine and Russia, he said, &#8220;We don&#8217;t accept that the territorial waters around Crimea are Russian. They are Ukrainian. We don&#8217;t accept, therefore, that Kerch Strait is completely Russian. We believe it is shared sovereignty.&#8221;
A clear violation of international law
He said Russia&#8217;s actions in the Nov. 25 confrontation, when it fired on and eventually seized three Ukrainian navy ships attempting to pass from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait, are &#8220;a clear violation of international law and violation of bilateral agreement with Ukraine.&#8221; He said the United States insists that Russia return the ships and the 24 Ukrainian soldiers and intelligence agents arrested by Russian security agents.
Volkers said the United States&#8217; European allies could move to bar Russian vessels coming from Crimea or the Azov Sea from European ports. He said the move was suggested recently by Annegret Kramp-Karrenabaue, general secretary of Germany&#8217;s ruling Christian Democratic Union and an aspiring successor to outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
&#8220;It is a very strong measure and a very creative one,&#8221; Volkers told VOA. &#8220;We&#8217;ll see if they pursue it.&#8221;
He said the United States wants such measures to put pressure on Russia and &#8220;get to the point at which Russia is willing to negotiate a solution.&#8221;
Options have big costs
Volkers said another possible measure is cutting Russian banks from the international SWIFT banking network, which operates under Belgian law and facilitates international transactions by sending payment orders between institutions in different countries.
&#8220;People refer to it as a nuclear option,&#8221; Volkers said. &#8220;It would have costs for everybody involved. Big costs for Russia, but big costs for allies as well. Ultimately, we have to keep it on the table as a possibility because we just can&#8217;t continue to see Russia launch further steps of aggression in its neighborhood like this.&#8221;
Calling off meeting with Putin appropriate
Volkers also said the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a G-20 summit in Buenos Aires was &#8220;appropriate&#8221; to convey to Russia that the United States is concerned about the Azov Sea incident &#8220;at the highest level.&#8221;
He also said he believes Russia is using its activities in Ukraine to try to influence upcoming Ukrainian elections. Ukraine is set to hold its next presidential election in March 2019.
&#8220;They are very serious about it,&#8221; Volkers said. But he said the Ukrainian people have developed a much stronger sense of skepticism toward Russia since its actions on Crimea — &#8220;invasion and occupation and killing Ukrainians.&#8221;
Volkers also commended the Ukrainian navy captains and sailors involved in the Kerch Strait incident for their restraint. &#8220;They did not fire back,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They were trying to avoid the conflict and act responsibly.&#8221;
For Russia&#8217;s part, Volkers said it would be &#8220;extremely reckless&#8221; for Russia to take even more aggressive action in Ukraine.
&#8220;The Ukrainian military is much more capable than before,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It would be a much more costly exercise. They would lose any shred of deniability that they still cling to now, and Ukraine would gain a lot of support&#8221; from NATO, the United States and the European Union.
Volkers looks forward to Ukraine visit
Asked about plans to visit Ukraine, Volkers said he hopes to visit before the end of the year. He said he would like to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, meet members of parliament and civil society, and perhaps visit one of Ukraine&#8217;s ports.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Russia for a number of actions or alleged actions, including its incursion into Ukraine, meddling in U.S. and other elections, and the attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, earlier this year.
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