Black Sea Drills Showcase Strong NATO-Ukraine Defense Ties
Voice of America
ABOARD USS ROSS - Ukraine and NATO have conducted Black Sea drills involving dozens of warships in a two-week show of their strong defense ties and capability following a confrontation between Russia's military forces and a British destroyer off Crimea last month.
The Sea Breeze 2021 maneuvers set to wrap up Saturday involved about 30 warships and 40 aircraft from NATO members and Ukraine. The captain of the USS Ross, a U.S. Navy destroyer that took part in the drills, said the exercise was designed to improve how the equipment and personnel of the participating nations operate together. "We'd like to demonstrate to everybody, the international community, that no one nation can claim the Black Sea or any international body of water," Commander John D. John said aboard the guided missile destroyer previously deployed to the area for drills. "Those bodies of water belong to the international community, and we're committed to ensure that all nations have access to international waterways." The Russian Defense Ministry said it was closely monitoring Sea Breeze. The Russian military also conducted a series of parallel drills in the Black Sea and southwestern Russia, with warplanes practicing bombing runs and long-range air defense missiles' deploying to protect the coast.A Swiss flag is pictured in front of the Burgenstock Resort where the Summit on Peace in Ukraine will take place June 15 and 16, in Lucerne, Switzerland, May 28, 2024. FILE - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks at a press conference in Beijing, May 30, 2024. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to a question during a press conference after the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, June 2, 2024.
FILE - The United Nations logo is pictured in front of the United Nations Headquarters building during the U.N. General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, Sept. 22, 2016. FILE - Greece's Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis speaks in Athens, May 17, 2024. FILE - Panama's Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney speaks in Panama City, Panama April 11, 2023.
FILE - Male students arrive at the Herat University after the universities were reopened in Herat, Afghanistan, March 6, 2023. FILE - Afghan women students stand outside the Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 21, 2022. Taliban security forces are upholding a higher education ban for women by blocking access to university campuses.