WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, issued the following joint statement regarding escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine:

“We strongly condemn the Russian Federation's attack on Ukrainian vessels in the Kerch Strait and increasingly aggressive actions in the Sea of Azov. Russia must swiftly release all Ukrainian crew members and vessels, cease the disruption of Ukrainian and international shipping, and allow unhindered access through the Kerch Strait and in the Sea of Azov. We continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and their right to freedom of navigation. Russia cannot rewrite international rules by force.”

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