The United States will send two warships to the Black Sea next week, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Friday, prompting Russia, which has boosted its military forces near Ukraine, to raise concerns about NATO powers that do not have a coast line in the region of increasing naval activity.
“A notice was sent to us 15 days ago via diplomatic channels that two U.S. warships would pass to the Black Sea, in line with the Montreux Convention. The ships will remain in the Black Sea until May 4,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said, referring to the international pact that gives Turkey control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and regulates the movement of naval warships.
