Russia sees NATO’s naval buildup in the Black Sea as an additional threat and will take the necessary measures to defend national security, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, TASS reports.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree enacting the National Security and Defense Council’s decision on the country's maritime security strategy. The document prioritizes efforts to build Ukraine’s navy and ensure the permanent presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.
"Putting more NATO ships out there definitely poses an additional threat to Russia, especially since NATO countries are directly involved in the conflict around Ukraine. We take both Bulgaria and Romania into account, that is, the coastal countries that are NATO members. Russia will certainly take the necessary measures to defend its own security," the Kremlin spokesman noted.
Peskov also pointed out that the presence of non-regional countries in the Black Sea "is quite tightly regulated by the Montreux Convention." "In this case, Turkey acts as administrator, and it performs the mission quite effectively," the Russian presidential spokesman concluded.
Turkey has repeatedly highlighted its strict compliance with the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits. Based on Article 19 of the convention, Ankara closed the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits area to warships from the parties to the Ukraine conflict and non-regional countries in order to prevent tensions from rising in the Black Sea region.
