Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is calling on NATO to expand its military activity in the Black Sea, urging the alliance to transform the waters into a “sea of NATO.”
“The Black Sea is instrumental for making the whole of Europe peaceful and future-oriented,” Kuleba told a Black Sea security conference in Bucharest via video link. “Sadly, it is also a showcase of how rapidly things can deteriorate if one neglects threats. It’s time to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, a sea of NATO.”
The Black Sea has become a potential flashpoint for a conflict between Russia and NATO, which was demonstrated by the downing of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after it encountered Russian fighter jets over the waters in March.
In the years leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US and NATO steadily increased their military activity in the Black Sea. Tensions came to a head in June 2021 when a British warship sailed about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Crimea that was revealed to be an intentional provocation to draw a Russian reaction.
NATO members Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria have Black Sea coasts. Kuleba said all NATO members in both the Black and Baltic Seas should integrate their air and missile defense systems with Ukraine.
Over in Moscow, the Kremlin brushed off the idea of the Black Sea becoming a NATO sea. “The Black Sea will never be a ‘NATO sea,’ this is a common sea,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Moreover, this must be indivisible security.”
Cool. So they’re going to offer Russia membership after all!
lol
No, turning the Black Sea into an Eastern Baltic. Ukraine taking the place of Poland and Germany, Turkey of Sweden and Romania and Bulgaria of the small Baltic States.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/04/13/zombie-war-plan-b-for-ukraine/
In keeping with the topic.
Thank you. The article you posted is a terrific read.
Childish and imbecilic. Saudis wanted to change the name of the Persian Gulf into Arabian Gulf. Neoliberalism doesn’t respect history, they like to rewrite it.
A “sea of NATO”? Doesn’t seem very wise to me. We start crowding Russia and there is a plethora of potential problems, including possibly nuclear war?….
Turning the Black Sea into a NATO lake and depriving the Russians of their only warm water port at Sevastopol has been the plan for years. That’s what this war is really all about. The U.S. couldn’t care less about the lives of Ukrainians. Those people are expendable in advancing our global interests.
If the Black Sea becomes “Sea of NATO,” then the continents of the world become “Continents of Death.” …What’s that? I’m crazy? …Believe me when I say, I hope that I am. (Sarcasm alert)
“downing of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after it encountered Russian fighter jets over the waters in March”…how about adding the full story, as in “while flying dangerously close to sensitive Russian military installations, in an ares Russia had declared a security zone, with the intent to provide military intelligence to Ukraine”.
That puts the downing of the drone into context.
Just like the British incursion, which is admitted to have been an intentional “provocation”.
Finally the cat is out of the bag! That has been the trigger of Putin’s taking of the Crimea and the start of this war all along.
i think that putin didn’t actually ‘take crimea’ so much as crimea chose to be protected under a russian umbrella
For sure.
Exactly. Easy choice. Join a country that speaks your language or fight NATO nazis that just took over your country by yourself.
“Tensions came to a head in June 2021 when a British warship sailed about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Crimea that was revealed to be an intentional provocation to draw a Russian reaction.”
I guess they want to see what comes after “Tensions came to a head”.
In order to avoid all of us becoming nuclear toast they shall require an awful lot of cannon fodder…
https://www.rt.com/russia/574740-pacific-fleet-high-alert-check/
Russia places Pacific fleet on ‘high alert’
I’ve been told to put my house in order.
Without wishing to intrude on you, personally TM, may we ask why and by whom? And should any of the rest of us put our houses in order too?…..
Doobie, doobie do…..Inhale……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Exhale…………………………………………………………cough….. Again……………………………………………………………
If only.
Does the Russian exercise mentioned in the link you provided have anything to do with the US/SK/Japan live missile exercise announced the same day in the same area?
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-japan-south-korea-hold-missile-defence-exercises-deter-north-korea-threat-2023-04-15/
The USD is worthless and America’s financial system is near collapse amid a decrease in freedoms.
No, I don’t view a link between the aforementioned and the military exercises. /s
If that happens, it could become a ‘Sea of Blood’.
As far as I know, Turkey has prevented the passage of warships of any country through the Bosporus Straight. Let’s hope that continues indefinitely.
The timing of this announcement is interesting. Poland just prohibited grain imports sourced from Ukraine because they were hurting the sales of Polish grain. Also, Russia is hinting that they won’t renew the Black Sea grain deal, which expires on May 18th.
I guess it’s time to hit up Biden for another few billion in non-military aid…
Kuleba Blabbermouth Khan holds forth.
John Bolton Declares Total War On Russia
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/john-bolton-declares-total-war-on
Ho-hum.
The Montreux Convention regulates maritime traffic through the Turkish
Straits. It guarantees “complete freedom” of passage for all civilian
vessels in times of peace. In peacetime, military vessels are limited in
number, tonnage and weaponry, with specific provisions governing their
mode of entry and duration of stay. If they want to pass through the
Strait, warships must provide advance notification to the Turkish
authorities, which, in turn, must inform the parties to the convention.
In wartime, if Turkey is not involved in the conflict, warships of the
nations at war may not pass through the Straits, except when returning
to their base
Talk like this must be a red flag for Russia. Also it is another reason why Russia made the right choice by invading after Stoltenburg refused to provide guarantees that if Ukraine joined NATO would not place offensive nuclear missiles on its borders with them. NATO would be better served by being more open to security arrangements that keep all parties safe and don’t allow provocative and dangerous deployments which ROB one state’s security 2 enhance a weaker state’s ability to threaten strong ones. NATO finds itself in a situation which threatens Russia, but Russia could take out every NATO capitol in Europe before any bombs fall on Russia. This is not a good situation and it is Tragic that the U.S. Neocons under Obama have put the world in this danger. Too bad for the NATO Gnomes that Russia is now defended with hypersonic missiles and nukes 4000 times the blast of the ones used to end WWII. Ukraine will too shattered too be of any use to NATO, if it is not now. The Neocons dream of “Full Spectrum Dominance” will not materialize because the U.S. and its motly allies are no match for Russia and China which the Biden reckless diplomacy has now assured in a nuclear confrontation.
Ukraine Calls for Ukraine to Become Russia
“Ukraine Calls for Black Sea to Become a ‘Sea of NATO’ Ukraine’s FM says NATO Black Sea countries should integrate their missile defense systems with Kyiv”
Ukraine needs to change it’s name to Ludicrous.
In addition to asking for wonder weapons from the West they want to be a de facto NATO nation.
Does anyone else smell a Ukrainian rat who is in desperation?