Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Thursday that NATO’s activities in the Black Sea are increasing the risk of collision.
“What are American ships doing in the Black Sea, thousands of miles away from their bases? Any explanations saying all that is for the sake of freedom of navigation simply do not work. They are playing with fire, it is just another attempt to test our resolve”, Ryabkov told reporters.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier that the alliance has increased its presence in the Black Sea because of its strategic importance. At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that by sending their vessels to the area, the US is trying to push coastal countries toward confrontational policies.
The US even sent the Sixth Fleet’s flagship, USS Mount Whitney, to the Black Sea, where it was monitored by Russian forces.
