Turkey said today that the United States will send two warships to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, in the midst of escalating tension with Russia, which has intensified its military buildup on the border with Ukraine.

For its part, Kiev announced its readiness to respond.

The Al-Jazeera correspondent in Ankara reported - quoting sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry - that Ankara was informed, through diplomatic channels 15 days ago, that two American warships would head to the Black Sea, in accordance with the "Montreux" agreement, and they would remain until May 4. .

For his part, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Groshko said that it is important for Moscow that all countries abide by the "Montreux" treaty regarding the presence of military ships in the Black Sea, adding that Moscow is concerned about the military activity in the Black Sea by countries that are not bordering it.

This announcement comes after CNN revealed yesterday that Washington is considering sending warships to the Black Sea in the coming weeks to support Kiev, amid the increasing military buildup of the Russian army on the eastern border with Ukraine.

Yesterday, CNN quoted a Pentagon official as saying that the US Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea, but the deployment of warships now will send a specific message to Moscow that the United States is monitoring the situation closely.

In the same context, White House spokeswoman Jane Saki warned about what Washington considers an escalating Russian aggression, and said that "the number of Russian forces now on the border with Ukraine is greater than at any time since 2014 ″, referring to the period in which Russia annexed the peninsula." Crimea from Ukraine.

Saki said yesterday that the United States is discussing with its partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) concerns about regional tension and ceasefire violations.

 Ukrainian denial

In the midst of the escalation, the Ukrainian army chief denied that his forces were ready to launch an attack in the Donbas region, and said that using force to regain control over it would lead to many deaths, which Ukraine rejects.

Meanwhile, mutual accusations continue between Kiev and the Moscow-backed separatists of violating the ceasefire and military build-up.

The Kremlin spokesman said that Moscow may take steps to protect civilians from any fighting in eastern Ukraine, describing the situation in the "Donbas" region as unprecedented.

Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesman said today that Russia has the right to move its forces on its territory as it pleases, commenting on a phone call during which German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the military buildup near the border with Ukraine.

The spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in a press conference by telephone that the situation in eastern Ukraine "is very volatile, which entails the risks of large-scale combat operations."

It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Donbas region (east of the country), where he inspected the army forces, two days after he called on NATO to develop a plan for Ukraine to join the alliance, a measure that Moscow strongly opposes.