Ukrainian Foreign Minister: NATO intends to increase its presence in the Black Sea
NATO countries will soon take steps in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait. One of the elements of the response is strengthening the presence of the Alliance in the Black Sea, stated Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin.
"NATO should strengthen its presence in the Black Sea region. How they do it is the issue of further negotiations and you will hear about some of them soon. The important thing is the presence of the NATO ships. This will be done very quickly,” the Ukrainian Foreign Minister stated following the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, December 4, Evropeyska Pravda reports.
Klimkin noted that all 29 NATO member-countries supported Ukraine’s position. He also pointed to the need for constant monitoring of the situation in the Black Sea and strengthened cooperation of the Alliance with the partners in the region.
"I suggested that we could have a special format where NATO actively cooperates with the countries that will become NATO members: Ukraine and Georgia… I explained to all allies that Russia not only restricts the freedom of navigation in the Azov and Black Seas, which is dangerous for the Alliance, but also that Russia is doing everything to destabilize the South of Ukraine,” the diplomat stated.
According to the Ukrainian Minister, the participants discussed the political aspect of the situation, especially where the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait should be considered territorial waters that are fully subject to the conventions of the Law of the Sea. "I am very happy that we received unequivocal support and that today’s meeting will not end only with statements,” Klimkin concluded.