Ukraine did not allow Russia to become a member of the International Maritime Organization Council for 2026-2027
28.11.2025 - 15:11
During the 34th Assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, elections were held for the governing body of the institution – the IMO Council.
According to the results of the vote, Russia was not elected to category A, which includes states with the greatest interest in providing international shipping services, the Ministry of Development reported.
“The non-election of Russia to the IMO Council is a victory for international law. The community has clearly shown the aggressor its place – outside the boundaries of civilized democratic decision-making. A country that systematically attacks ports, kills civilian seafarers and blackmails the world with hunger has no moral right to manage global shipping safety,” said Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine – Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Kuleba.
During the work of the 34th IMO Assembly, the Ukrainian side presented the member states with a detailed argumentation regarding the incompatibility of the Russian Federation’s actions with the principles of international maritime law and the status of a member of the Council.
Russia is systematically destroying civilian maritime infrastructure and threatening global shipping security. Since the beginning of 2025 alone, 384 port infrastructure facilities, 124 vessels, and 136 civilians and seafarers have been damaged or partially destroyed.
Despite this, six Ukrainian ports continue to operate. In addition, Russia continues to illegally occupy five Ukrainian ports in Crimea since 2014, two ports in the Sea of Azov and one in the Black Sea. Three more seaports have not been able to operate safely for three years in a row due to the threat from Russia in the Black Sea. This blocks freedom of navigation through the Kerch Strait.
Earlier, USM reported that the IMO was unable to agree on the Net-Zero Framework due to US pressure: negotiations were postponed until 2026.
