evidence: More recently, Russia escalated its aggressive activities when it blocked the lawful passage of Ukrainian navy vessels and attacked them near the Kerch Strait in November. The United States calls on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters, and we reiterate our call to Russia to immediately release the detained Ukrainian crewmembers and naval vessels. This would be an important demonstration of Russia’s readiness to engage more constructively with Ukraine.