Kremlin Warns Against NATO Warships in Black Sea Amid Ukraine Conflict

The Kremlin on Thursday expressed concern over NATO's plans to establish a permanent presence of warships in the Black Sea, considering it a threat due to the alliance's involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the issue during a conference call with reporters, referencing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's new maritime security strategy. Zelenskiy has emphasized the need to prevent the Russian Navy from dominating 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 stated.

'Of course, Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure its own security,' he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)