MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th February, 2021) NATO has increased its military presence in the Black Sea region as member states have conducted a number of seaborne exercises and training missions over recent weeks, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.
"NATO has increased its presence in the Black Sea region ... just over the last few weeks we had actually three US naval ships deployed in the Black Sea, also some of them exercising and training with the Ukrainian navy," Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference alongside Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
Stoltenberg also called on Ukraine to implement a series of anti-corruption and defense reforms that may aid the country's aspirations to join NATO.
"I welcome Ukraine's efforts to implement major reforms which support its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. It is vital that the work to strengthen democratic governance and fight against corruption continues, and that reforms of the security and defense sector continue," the secretary general said.
The US Navy destroyers Porter and Donald Cook, which were both armed with cruise missiles, entered the Black Sea in late January. Both vessels were tracked by Russian naval forces.
Ukraine is a NATO enhanced opportunities partner, along with Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan, and Sweden.
