A U.S. show of force in the Black Seas is meant to send Russia the message that the United States plans to have a presence in the area, with one unnamed American official suggesting the Russians were being overly sensitive.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney joined the USS Ross in the Black Sea on Saturday, CNN reported, and a U.S. official said the increased American presence there was part of a bid to counter Russia's increased deployment.
The unnamed official told CNN that the Pentagon wanted to "desensitize Russia" to the presence of U.S. military forces in the Black Sea, which sits between Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Western Asia.
U.S. defense officials in Europe also said Russia appeared to be sensitive to America's operations in the sea, given Russia's recent moves to militarize Crimea.
A NATO official said Russia had moved submarines to Crimea, per CNN, and added that while the Western alliance was not looking to match Russian military assets to the region, NATO did want to improve its position in southeastern Europe.
"Our decision to have two ships simultaneously operate in the Black Sea is proactive, not reactive," said Navy Vice Adm. Christopher Grady, commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet.
"We operate at the tempo and timing of our choosing in this strategically important region. By nature, ships are flexible, mobile forces, and the Navy is uniquely capable of providing credible and capable forces to defend our nation’s interests throughout the world.”
The U.S. hasn’t had two military ships in the Black Sea since July 2017 when it co-hosted exercise Sea Breeze with Ukraine.
"The continued presence of the U.S. Navy in the Black Sea demonstrates our enduring commitment to regional stability, maritime security of our Black Sea partners, and the collective defense of our NATO allies," Grady said.
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