Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan, thinks that NATO should respond quickly and robustly to Russian aggression in the Sea of Azov. “In addition to increased sanctions & military-technical support, NATO should immediately deploy warships to the Sea of Azov to guarantee freedom of navigation,” he said.

He’s not alone in stating this and some analysts have gone further, suggesting that a multinational naval force pass through the Kerch Strait – now essentially Russian-controlled – and dock at the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, in order to protect international shipping and counter further Russian attempts to attack foreign ships and illegally blockade the strait.