NATO activity off the coast of the Black Sea and the Sea Breeze-2020 exercise weaken rather than strengthen regional security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in a comment to RIA Novosti.
The international naval exercises Sea Breeze-2020 started in the Black Sea on Monday. They involve the forces of Ukraine, Georgia and seven NATO member countries – the United States, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, France, Spain and Norway.
The Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksiy Neizhpapa, said that the exercises are being conducted to “work out a wide range of missions in the sea, where urgent challenges and threats to the international security system are now emerging”.
According to the deputy foreign minister, these exercises, as well as NATO’s activity on the eastern flank, demonstrate that the alliance countries see a threat for themselves from the east.
“All this activity does not correspond to the real needs of ensuring security, worsens regional stability, creates new dividing lines in Europe. What NATO is doing, from our point of view, does not strengthen, but weakens regional security – these exercises and NATO’s policy in general in this region”, – Grushko said.
The deputy minister recalled, in particular, the Blackseafor group, which united the naval potentials of all coastal states and made it possible to create a regional security structure.
“But NATO’s actions are destroying these structures, weakening the role of the coastal states themselves in ensuring security”, – Grushko concluded.
Lately it was reported that the American missile destroyer Porter has begun its transition to the Black Sea to participate in the Sea Breeze 2020 exercise.