Russia: 'Concentrated Presence' of NATO Warships in Black Sea Are Threat

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russia would consider any plans to establish a permanent presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea as a threat, given the alliance's involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remark when asked by reporters on a conference call about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's new maritime security strategy. Zelenskyy has spoken about the need to ensure the Russian Navy does not dominate the Black Sea.

"Of course, the concentrated presence of NATO ships – we are paying attention to Bulgaria and Romania, the coastal states that are members of the [NATO] alliance – of course this represents, especially in the current situation, an additional threat to Russia," Peskov told reporters.

"Of course, Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure its own security."