Ukraine-US Sea Breeze-2020 Drills In Black Sea Weaken Regional Security - Moscow

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) The US-Ukraine co-hosted multinational Sea Breeze-2020 military exercises, which started on Monday in the Black Sea, and NATO increased activity in the region have a negative effect on security in the area, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik on Monday.

The naval drills will be held for seven days and will involve a total of 26 warships, 19 aircraft and over 2,000 servicemen from six other NATO countries and allies, namely Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Turkey, Spain, Romania and Norway.

The US-Ukraine co-hosted drills will be held for seven days and will involve a total of 27 warships, 19 aircraft and over 2,000 servicemen from seven other NATO countries and allies, namely Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Turkey, Spain, Romania and Norway.

"What NATO is doing, from our point of view, does not strengthen, but weakens regional security - these exercises and NATO's policy in general in this region [weaken regional security]," Grushko said.

The high-ranking official added that NATO's activity close to the Russian border only intends to demonstrate that "there is an eastern threat" to the alliance.

According to Grushko, NATO undermines the work of regional organizations in the Black Sea which could potentially lead to security and economic prosperity in the region. The Russian official also said the alliance's actions, in fact, weaken the role of Black Sea region countries in terms of security.