Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed upcoming joint US-Ukraine military exercises which will take place in the Black Sea dubbed operation Sea Breeze-2019, described as a multinational maritime exercise.
“That’s a dangerous idea, and that’s the way we will view it. Prior to that, we will study the facts. They are viewed by us as a dangerous idea,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin on Thuesday.
Moscow has long denounced the now annual maritime exercise as a threat to stability in the region, as it appears but more evidence that the United States is now treating Ukraine as if it were a de facto member of NATO.
USS Donald Cook
Last year’s exercises, co-hosted by Ukraine and the United States, were held in July 2018 near the Odessa and Nikolayev Regions and in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, and involved over 2,000 multi-national servicemen, about 30 warships and aircraft from 19 countries.
Meanwhile the press service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine confirms that this year, “The international exercises will be held in the north-western part of the Black Sea, in Mykolayiv, Kherson and Odesa regions,” as cited in Defence Blog.
The U.S. Department of Defense has described the Sea Breeze exercises as “a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea and is designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen regional maritime security.”
Crucially, and likely the element seen by the Kremlin as most provocative, it’s being further described with the goal of strengthening “combined response capabilities” and to “demonstrate resolve among allied and partner nation forces to ensure stability in the Black Sea region.”
Within the past two months Ukrainian and Pentagon defense planners began a preparatory conference in Kyiv to outline plans for Sea Breeze-2019. As part of the announcement for the conference made late last year, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Oleksandr Neizhpapa specifically invoked “NATO standards” as part of a basic aim of Ukrainian defense forces:
“This year, Sea Breeze 2019 drills are more important than ever. We are working for a result. It is preparedness to manage forces according to NATO standards, achieve interoperability of divisions and ships, and most importantly, Ukrainian-American exercises Sea Breeze 2019 are becoming a real instrument for maintaining stability and security in the Black Sea.”
Though given the ongoing dispute between Moscow and Washington over the collapsing Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) which could take the world to the brink of a “new Cold War”, the situation looks anything but stable.
And by the time Sea Breeze-2019 commences, the INF issue will likely get even hotter as both sides declare their intent to expand offensive and defensive weapons capabilities.
Aren’t they afraid of the secret Russian weapon that turns off the radars and cells?
It ain’t so secret any longer, if it’s used just against some show off drill…
It would be the right time to show if it’s true or not.
Exactly.
I wouldn’t hold my breathe :)
I do wish you would.
Is 30 minutes ok :)
If I was Russian I would, just to proudly contribute to to my country’s first place at suicides rate.
Sea Breeze? FFS, someone call up Malaysian Airlines and tell them to stay the hell out of Ukraine airspace. And Russia should issue a statement that iIhor Kolomoyskyi’s privately-owned BUKs will be destroyed on sight. Why hasn’t that Khazar Mafia fuck been brought to justice yet?
Because ‘Khazar Mafia’ is in Moscow. Check out the Russian billionaires ethnicity ;)
They’re everywhere, but the ones in Moscow don’t have privately-owned BUKs… yet.
The Israeli Zionist terrorist community meddling in the US and UK own businesses.
Rusia will handle it.
If the U.S. is treating Ukraine as de fact NATO, then it is quite obvious they are undermining their own alliance and with it, the U.S. capability within that alliance.
If they’re so tough, why don’t they capture a bunch of US sailors also? US Navy is unparalleled in their power and abilities. 1 US fleet can defeat 5 Russian fleets. Black Sea is international waters, US Navy will defend its Ukrainian allies. They’ve got thousands of Tomahawks on standby.
No need, a small Iranian Patrol boat captured and humiliated tons of sailors on aUS ship and shaved their heads lol. and don’t worry, Russia’s got tons of Kalibrs, anti-ship missiles, and air defense missiles :)
And whatever that su.. used on the USS Donald-Cooked…
Fine words from Yiddischer-Schleim who need goys to fight their battles………you stinking Dreck
I can just see you telling yourself this, looking into the mirror wild eyed and all blustery… And talking out loud saying you’re not sceered as you walk past graveyards…
Russia and China should stage an exercise in the Gulf of Mexico, and test a nuke while there, in International waters of course.
Iran did it, and the U.S. just squealed… like it did when Russia took back Crimea.
Blimey, you make the US sound jolly scary, however…..historical facts seem to prove they are loud mouthed, arrogant, gung-ho, arrogant tossers that always lose.
US want a war, it is obvious. In the end they will got a war but not in the terms they wanted to.
Not sure it does, as the U.S. had its chance to confront Russia in Georgia and Syria. Probably just drum up some trouble to blackmail NATO members to pay more, like it did with S. Korea and Japan.
Cmon guys, let the Russian navy play with their rubber duckies and lets just observe at stand off ranges of 2000km with
SM Block IIA traveling at Mach 15
LOL
white trailer trash has had a lesson in spelling,just waiting for the coherent thinking class.
He may have had a lesson, but he is far from “slighter better than the average Yanker”.
For the later, he needs a new chip, unfortunately he still is running on 8 bits, so the teaching and upgrading could take time !!.
Russia envy Ukraine they succeeded to be equal partners to Americans, and Russia not…………LOL.
YES, IN MANY WAYS =
Since when vassal states can have equal relationships?
WTF is these USA things, if war starts it will be like Serbia 1999, like Libya 2011, like Iraq 2003 etc., Hey HELLO if war starts with Russia you will be squashed, this is not Iraq and the people and Terrorist Cells, this is full Nuclear State with full readiness of Trained Soldiers. I don’t even know how these USA are thinking to fought the war against Russia, I really don’t know what kind of worms are eating their brains.
hard for the morons from destitute states of morons (aka usa) to actually do so since the morons, under the montreaux convention is not allowed to send more than one naval ship at a time and for a two week stint into the black sea after which it has to leave. but the moronistan (aka usa) flaunting international law is nothing new and hardly surprising.
what is more telling here is that the morons from moronistan never forgets and never forgives and when putin screwed the morons out of all those commodities the morons thought they had laid their greedy and blood soaked hands on after the collapse of the soviet union and those commodities is the most coveted prize for the morons, without which the bankruptcy is looming. the morons printing machines can work over time but to little avail if no one wants the greenbacks no more – and that’s more or less the factual situation they are facing today. what a pitiful and disgraceful and odious country moronistan (aka usa) is today.
just think venezuela and you see revenge and a need to compensate for all them losses moronistan has booked during the last 70 years – starting with north korea, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan, syria, libya, and so on.
With in the limits of international law The US navy goes where it pleases.
and there ain’t jack Russia can do about it but whine.
Get over yourselves.
America being a cu*t, it’s the Americun way.
Better if Russia slams for real and put an end to this travesty called the Ukrainian government. .
Operation Sea Breeze – sending the wonderful scent of the US around the globe. What Yank nonsense.