NATO chief to visit Black Sea military base in Romania

Foto: INQUAM/George Călin

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit a  Black Sea military base in Romania on Friday amid tensions over Russia’s military build up near Ukraine.

A convoy of American troops and military vehicles from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment are expected to arrive at the base where NATO troops are stationed on Friday for an open ended deployment.

Mr Stoltenberg will meet military personnel from Allied nations deployed to Mihail Kogălniceanu Military Base, NATO said.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will join the NATO chief and the two will have talks followed by a press conference.

The location is significant as Russian military activity has increased in the region after it annexed Crimea in 2014 giving it direct access to the Black Sea. Russia says it has moved troops because it feels threatened by NATO and the West.

The Wall Street Journal published a report based on satellite imagery  on Wednesday that showed Moscow has positioned military equipment and troops in Crimea in recent weeks. Crimea is about 450 kilometers east of Romania.

The first group of Russian warships passed through the Turkish straits into the Black Sea on Tuesday on their way to waters near Ukraine.

The three warships are designed for beach landings and can carry heavy tanks. Russia insists the ships are part of a planned naval exercise.

On Thursday, Mr Stoltenberg said Russia’s deployment for a military exercise in Belarus and on the borders of Ukraine marks a „dangerous moment for European security.”

“The number of Russian forces is going and the warning time for a possible attack is going down,” he said, AFP reported.

“NATO is not a threat to Russia, but we must be prepared for the worst while remaining strongly committed to finding a political solution.”

PHOTOS: | U.S. military convoy arrives in Romania

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