"Working out subsidies": how in Ukraine and Romania they call for an increase in the US military presence in the Black Sea

Ukraine and Romania have asked their Western allies to increase their military presence in the Black Sea region.

This is stated in the appeals of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova and Ambassador of Romania in Washington Andrei Muraru to the US Senate, excerpts from which were published by the military-political edition of Defense News.

According to the journalists, the letters of the diplomats were sent to the Senate Subcommittee on Cooperation in Europe and Regional Security during the hearing on the revival of US policy in the region.

The appeal of the Romanian diplomat was sent on October 26, and the Ukrainian one - on October 29, but their content became known only now, explains Defense News.

Thus, the Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova stated in her address that Russia is using the Black Sea as a "springboard" for its actions in Syria, creating a so-called zone of restriction and denial of access and maneuver (A2AD) in the region.

"NATO's ability to defend its member states and provide possible assistance to third countries (Ukraine and Georgia) has been severely undermined," Markarova said.

In her opinion, NATO should develop a plan of joint response in case Russia carries out an "armed attack" in the Black Sea.

In turn, Andrei Muraru called on Washington to increase its military presence in Romania.

“Convincing deterrence can only be achieved through a broad presence.

An increase in the US military presence in Romania in all areas - land, air and sea - including the US command structure, ”the diplomat wrote.

The Senate Subcommittee met on October 27.

Jan Brzezinski, a member of the Atlantic Council * speaking to congressmen, said that Moscow had allegedly turned the Black Sea into a "body of water for the Russian armed forces", which is used to promote "subversive and expansionist goals" in the region and beyond.

"Such aggressive actions indicate that the Black Sea region has become a weak point in transatlantic security," said Brzezinski, who served as deputy assistant to the head of the Pentagon for Europe and NATO under President George W. Bush.

Nautical question

The authorities of Ukraine and Romania at the level of top officials of the state and members of the government have previously stated that the West should increase its military presence in the Black Sea.

So, the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August 2021 at a briefing after a quadripartite meeting with the presidents of Moldova, Poland and Romania, which took place in Chisinau, announced the need for the presence of NATO ships in the Black Sea.

"Ukraine has consistently advocated the presence of NATO in the Black Sea ... Unfortunately, military threats are growing around Ukraine," Zelensky said, urging Romania and Moldova to strengthen cooperation with Kiev through the naval forces.

• US Marines at the ground stage of the Sea Breeze 2021 exercise near Kherson

• Reuters

• © Gleb Garanich

Later, at a meeting in New York in late September, with a request to increase the presence of the fleets of the alliance countries in the Black Sea, Zelensky turned to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. 

“Speaking about the importance of joint efforts with the alliance to improve the level of security in the Black Sea region, the President stressed the importance of further increasing the presence of the fleets of NATO countries in the Black Sea, as well as the interaction of the states of the Black Sea coast,” the press service of Zelensky said.

A similar position was voiced in Romania.

So, the head of the Foreign Ministry of this country Bogdan Aurescu said in June that Bucharest is in favor of increasing the number of US troops and the coalition to contain Russia in the Black Sea.

He said this in an interview with the Washington Examiner.

In turn, Romanian Defense Minister Nicolae Chuke told the same publication that he expects to increase the presence of American forces in his country.

“We hope there is still room to deploy as many US troops as possible.

We are very supportive of the rotational presence of US troops in our country, ”Chuke said.

Recall that in October, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Ukraine, Romania and Georgia, but after his working trip he did not make any statements about the possible strengthening of the US presence in the Black Sea region.

In addition, the Pentagon reported that the current disposition of American forces in the Black Sea has not changed.

“Our operational capability or containment strategy has not changed.

We carry out activities on a regular basis in the Black Sea and in many other territories throughout the region.

This is part of our continued commitment and guarantees to our allies and NATO partners, ”said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth.

View through the scope

American warships do continue to enter the Black Sea.

So, on October 30, the USS Porter, armed with cruise missiles, appeared in the Black Sea waters.

The National Defense Control Center of Russia then reported that the forces and means of the Black Sea Fleet were monitoring the actions of the destroyer.

Then on November 1, the flagship of the US 6th Fleet USS Mount Whitney entered the Black Sea.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, commenting on the presence of American warships, stressed that it negatively affects stability in the region.

“In general, the demonstration of the flag of the United States Navy in the Black Sea, of course, is not an isolated incident.

There were several times when the United States explicitly declared the need for its warships to enter this water area to contain Russia and prevent the creation of risks from Russia in the Black Sea to the American allies.

This, of course, does not add stability, ”the minister said.

• Missile destroyer USS Ross

• Reuters

• © Yoruk Isik

Russian President Vladimir Putin also reacted to the arrival in the Black Sea waters of USS Mount Whitney, mentioning the American ship at a meeting on defense topics in Sochi on November 1.

In connection with such activity, he called for further improvement of the country's aerospace defense system.

“A US ship has entered the Black Sea.

We can look at it through binoculars or through the sight of the corresponding defense systems, ”the Russian leader said.

As Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with RT, Kiev and Bucharest, in their addresses, “catch the sentiment” in Washington, which wants to strengthen the containment of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea.

“The Black Sea is becoming one of the hotbeds of tension, where NATO is trying to put pressure on Russia with military-political and information means.

It is an integral part of the containment policy we saw during the Cold War.

Now there is a new Cold War, led by the United States, - Ukraine and Romania understood this correctly, ”the political scientist said.

However, NATO and the United States will avoid a sharp increase in military activity in the region, Blokhin said.

“Vladimir Putin hinted for a reason that now we are looking through binoculars, or maybe through a scope,” the expert added.

The interlocutor of RT explained that Ukraine, Romania and other countries see themselves at the forefront of Western containment of Russia and are counting on certain subsidies for pursuing such a policy.

“This is their essence and purpose - to engage in such hostile activities.

They work off the subsidies they receive and try to get even more due to Russophobia.

If they do not pursue such a course, then the US and NATO have no need in these states, "Blokhin emphasized.

In turn, political scientist Alexander Asafov expressed the opinion that with their statements the ambassadors of Ukraine and Romania demonstrate loyalty to the United States and Washington's course to contain Russia in Europe.

“This emphasizes loyalty and demonstrates some hope, in particular from Ukraine, that the Crimean issue, which the Ukrainian authorities constantly raises at various round tables, speeches and plans, will be decided by the United States.

That such a miracle will happen when the United States has some crazy destroyer captain who will unleash a war, the result of which Ukraine hopes to take advantage of, ”the political scientist explained.

At the same time, he called the calls of American warships into the Black Sea a provocation.

“This is all a demonstration of presence and power.

Of course, the maximum task is to lead Russia to some inappropriate actions, for example, the use of weapons, so that in the future it could be interpreted in its own way, accuse, impose sanctions, and so on, "the expert explained.

However, in response to such actions by the United States and its allies in the region, Russia is calmly and systematically strengthening its security, the political scientist noted.

“Russia reacts quite clearly and, at an acceptable level, strengthens its presence, which is already there.

Of course, despite all these NATO exercises, the number one factor in the region is still Russia, which reacts to the actions of the West as usual: it is quite clear and meaningful, "Asafov concluded.

* "Atlantic Council" (Atlantic Council of the United States) - an organization whose activities are recognized as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation by the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of 25.07.2019.