Alliance not to stay out of Black Sea for long: NATO navy chief
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The Commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command says that the alliance remains committed to the Black Sea and the region.
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NATO's HMS Defender, HNLMS Evertsen, and USS Laboon in the Black Sea, June 2021, a Russian vessel visible on the horizon (credit: HMS Defender)
Commander of NATO's Allied Maritime Command, Vice Admiral Keith Blount hinted that the alliance does not intend to stay out of the Black Sea for long, Bulgarian News Agency BTA quoted the admiral as saying.
During a visit to Bulgaria, Blount was welcomed with an official military ceremony by the Commander of the Bulgarian Navy Rear Admiral Kiril Mihailov at the Admiralty Headquarters.
According to Mihailov, talks with Blount will focus on security and how to ensure better coordination between all NATO members in the Black Sea.
Blount pointed out that “Solidarity is important in these difficult times, and I want to assure you that NATO remains committed to the Black Sea and the region."
The vice admiral considered that the Bulgarian Navy plays a big role in achieving coordination in the water area.
Although he noted that he could not share NATO's operational plans, Blount revealed that the Alliance does not plan to stay out of the Black Sea for long.
"We have submarines, ships and planes at our disposal and we adapt their program and maneuvering scheme on a daily basis," he underlined.
US navy staying out of Black Sea to avoid Escalation
It is noteworthy that on April 28, Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday indicated that the US Navy is keeping its warships out of the Black Sea to avoid any escalation with Russia during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"For the time being we are going to stay out of the Black Sea... from an escalatory point of view," Gilday told a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) podcast.
The Admiral claimed that US President Joe Biden does not want the US or NATO to get involved in a war.
