NATO Agreed on Measures to Support Georgia and Ukraine in the Black Sea

NATO will increase the presence of its ships in the Black Sea, as well as conductjoint maneuvers and exchange information with Georgia and Ukraine, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO members agreed on a package of measures to support their “close partners” – Georgia and Ukraine. This Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday, April 4, at a meeting dedicated to the 70th anniversary of NATO. Among other things, we are talking about the increase of the Alliance's presence in the Black Sea, their visits to ports in Ukraine and Georgia, more intensive training of Maritime border guards of the two countries, as well as joint exercises and enhanced exchange of information. NATO is doing the right thing, seeking to achieve peace through force, said U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. He noted the need to resist Russian aggression and highlighted growing threats from China and Iran. Annexation of Crimea and conflict in the Kerch Strait The Foreign Ministers of NATO member countries again urged Russia to end its annexation of the Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea, as well as to free the ships of the Ukrainian Navy and their crews, who were detained in the incident in the Kerch Strait. In addition, members of the Alliance urged Moscow to adhere to the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. NATO believes that Russia has violated it with the creation of 9М729 missile. The Kremlin denies all the charges. In February 2019, the United States and then Russia officially suspended their participation in the Treaty. The meeting reiterated the need to increase the financial contribution to NATO’s defence capability to 2 per cent of GDP. “Now is not the time to repeat boring excuses that our citizens do not support the growing costs of protection”, – said the U.S. Secretary of State. Source: DW