Romanian Presidency Of Council Of EU In Favor Of Increasing NATO Presence In Black Sea

The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union advocates an increase in NATO's presence in the Black Sea, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2019) The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union advocates an increase in NATO's presence in the Black Sea, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday.

"While Europeans apply decisions on sanctions and must continue to do so strictly, NATO should strengthen further its deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern flank. That is why Romania supported enhanced cohesion on the eastern flank between its northern and southern parts. The Black Sea region, where the security environment is increasingly challenged, as we have recently seen, needs more NATO presence," Iohannis said at the Munich Security Conference.

He also stressed that the European Union cannot ignore "challenges on the eastern flank."

On November 25, Ukraine's Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats, and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov.

Russia seized the Ukrainian vessels and detained 24 people on board after they failed to respond to a demand to stop. After the incident, a criminal case on illegal border crossing was opened in Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly slammed Kiev's attempts to portray the detained sailors as prisoners of war, stressing that they faced criminal charges. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the incident was a provocation prepared in advance as a pretext to declare martial law in Ukraine, which was announced after the incident and lasted for a month. Putin said the provocation could be linked to Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko's low approval ratings ahead of the presidential election, set to be held in March.