(VOVWORLD) - Russia views the increased presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea as a threat and will take all necessary measures to ensure security, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
 Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
The concentrated presence of NATO ships, considering also that coastal states Bulgaria and Romania are members of NATO, poses an added threat to the Russian Federation, considering the direct involvement of NATO states in the conflict in Ukraine, Peskov said.
Peskov's comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decree on a new maritime security strategy, which outlines Kiev's strategy for ensuring security in the Black Sea and contains measures aimed at strengthening Ukraine's naval forces, including the permanent presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.