The presence of the US warships off the Russian shore in the Black Sea and the NATO naval manoeuvres are clearly a provocation of Russia, French MEP and member of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Committee Thierry Mariani says.
The French member of the European Parliament pointed that they could only imagine the US reaction to potential Russian navy manoeuvres in the international waters off the US coast, pointing to the presence of the US Sixth Fleet’s flagship ‘Mount Whitney’ and the USS Porter in the Black Sea.
According to Pentagon, both ships were in the region for routine maritime drills with NATO.
Mariani also pointed that the standoff over Ukraine between Washington and Moscow is mere part of NATO’s small steps strategy towards a broader conflict with Russia, pointing he believes the US would refrain from accepting Ukraine into NATO.
He stressed that Ukraine is becoming a real problem for Europe too after an 8 billion euro hole was discovered in Ukraine’s finances provided by the EU support funds, and presented by the European Court of Auditors.
Mariani is concerned that the culprits behind this widespread corruption, the power-hungry oligarchs behind President Zelensky, could be pushed into a hazardous military offensive in Donbass or an armed provocation of Russia in the Black Sea.
His words echoed Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s statement that NATO’s activities in the Black Sea are increasing the risk of collision, stressing that the US can’t simply use the freedom of navigation pretext to justify their presence of the coast of Russia.
Ryabkov warned both NATO and the US that they are playing with fire, something the Russian FM Sergei Lavrov also agrees with, noting that by sending their warships to the area, the US is trying to push coastal countries toward confrontational policies.
However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier that he reason behind the the alliance’s increased presence in the Black Sea isits strategic importance.
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