Russian Senator Alexei Pushkov has warned of another round of escalation in relations with the United States. So he on April 16 commented on the Pentagon’s statement on the continuation of military operations in the Black Sea.
He pointed out that before US President Joe Biden had time to declare that the US was interested in de-escalation, the Pentagon warned that it did not intend to stop the operations of US warships in the Black Sea.
“That is, to start a new round of escalation at any time. This is confirmed by the entire US policy. Biden’s words are not supported by anything, “Pushkov wrote in Telegram.
Earlier that day, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing that the US military “routinely conducted warship operations in the Black Sea, and this will continue.”
Earlier, on April 9, Washington warned Ankara about the passage of its two ships through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, where they will be from April 14-15 to May 4-5. The States are coordinating these actions with the Turkish authorities under the Montreux Convention.
As Izvestia sources in the military department reported on April 14, the US Navy destroyers Roosevelt and Donald Cook suspended their movement towards the Black Sea. The ships changed their route and entered the island of Crete, where they spent the whole day.
A day later, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu confirmed that the United States had canceled the passage of its warships.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov indicated that the situation related to the dispatch of US warships to the Black Sea remains tense and it is too early to say that the suspension of the two destroyers’ march will lead to detente.
On April 16, the Department of Navigation and Oceanography of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation informed that until October 31, some areas of the Black Sea will be closed to foreign warships and other state vessels.
In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine protested, considering it a violation of international law.