Three Ukrainian ships are seized by Russian forces near the Black Sea on November 25 (XINHUA) 

The tension between Ukraine and Russia escalated after the Russian Coast Guard seized three Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula on November 25. Ukraine declared martial law for 30 days along the border with Russia and in Black Sea coastal areas on November 28. Russia accused Ukraine of playing with fire and Ukrainian vessels of violating the Russian border despite warnings from Russian ships.

Though the international community urged both sides to restore peace, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submitted a draft law to parliament on December 3, which provides for the termination of the 1997 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and Russia that is set to expire in March 2019.

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar 

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