The Maritime Economist Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 34

THEMARITIME Economist

FreshMINDS

The Ukrainian crisis: impact
on the regional port system
Kateryna Grushevska and Theo Notteboom, ITMMA, University of Antwerp,
Antwerp, Belgium
In this contribution, we discuss how current and
recent events and developments in Ukraine and the
Black Sea region are affecting Ukrainian ports, more
specifically describing the shifts between the Crimean
and the continental Ukrainian ports.
Turbulent times in Ukraine

ME Mag

After the referendum in Crimea on March 16, 2014
the Autonomous Republic of Crimea became a part
of the Russian Federation on March 18, 2014. This
event incurred a complete change of legislative and
regulatory institutions for ports and railways which
before were a part of the Ukrainian state-owned and
centrally regulated transport network. Moreover, the
tensions in the eastern and southern part of Ukraine
are threatening the present integrity of the state.
The European Union and the USA continue to put
pressure on Russia to help solve the clashes with
pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country. The political
situation in Ukraine was influenced by the
presidential elections on May 25th 2014 won by
Petro Poroshenko. In late June 2014, Ukraine and
the European Union signed a free-trade pact. Just like
Georgia and Moldova, Ukraine has the ultimate goal
of entering the EU. However, the EU has made no
34 promise it will allow Ukraine in. The signing of the

pact is a key action as Ukraine’s former pro-Russia
President Viktor Yanukovich turned his back on signing
the EU agreement in November 2013. His position
in favour of closer ties with Russia prompted months
of street protests that eventually led to the Ukrainian
crisis. The recent events in Ukraine might even turn
out to be more significant to the country than the
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Figure 1. Black Sea ports