The North Atlantic Alliance to strengthen its presence in the Black sea. It sends signals to Russia and to Ukraine. However, the room for manoeuvre is limited because of an almost 80-year-old Treaty.
Odessa greets the “Donald Cook”. The destroyer of the U.S. Navy, stationed in Spain, and with a missile defense system is equipped, is now frequently in the Black sea. In January the ship is in Batumi, visited the guard to the Exercises with the Georgian coast. Now it is located in the port of Odessa. On Board 26 hit the. February, the Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, the US special representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker. Poroshenko said that the Meeting was “symbolic” and the presence of the destroyer in Odessa “an important Signal to the Kremlin” that “Crimea is Ukrainian” and that “in the Region of the free shipping is guaranteed”.
To hang out without it big at the bell, but under close surveillance of the Russian black sea fleet, strengthened NATO presence in the Black sea. At the same time with the USS Donald Cook, the Standing NATO Response Force Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG 2) in the Region, under the leadership of the German ship, FSG Werra. In January, the landing ship USS Fort McHenry was in the Black sea. Prior to that, the British reconnaissance ship HMS Echo was in December in Odessa.
NATO responds to incident
Background of the incidents in the Strait of Kerch at the end of November. Russian ships were seized off the coast of Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula by force of arms, two boats and a tug of the Ukrainian Navy. Deborah Sanders, King’s College, London, told DW that Europe has responded “pretty slow” on the incident in the Kerch Strait, through diplomatic channels. Therefore, we have chosen a “more military” approach, and for an increased presence of ships. The US had an informal leadership role, Sanders. You would have to send Moscow a clear Signal that the Black sea is not a Russian waters. The expert points out, that the balance of forces in the Black sea changed in favour of Russia and Kiev a Blockade of Odessa’m afraid of the most important port of the country, where since the annexation of the Crimea, the Ukrainian Navy is stationed.
Image from a Video of the Russian coast guard. A Russian ship rammed a Ukrainian in the Strait of Kerch.
NATO-member Turkey behaves with his fleet. “Turkey will have to distribute their forces on the Black and the Mediterranean sea. Ankara has decided, against the Background of the situation in Syria and its sensitive energy dependence on Russia, the Black sea, not a priority,” said Sanders. In addition, the expert was given the “cracks in the relations” between the United States and Turkey, the risk of a “growing alienation” in the relationship of Turkey to the NATO. But there are also completely opposite signals. For example, the destroyer USS Donald Cook Exercises conducted by a Turkish frigate, before he came to Odessa.
Russia lays claim
“You can say that the Black sea has increased against the Background of Russian behavior in importance,” said Hans-Joachim Stricker, Vice Admiral a. D. the German Navy, the DW. Until 2010, he was commander-in-chief of the fleet. According to him, Russia has made increasingly clear that the Black and sea of Azov to Moscow are of particular interest, and that there was “nobody else around” to drive. “This is a claim that you can’t accept” said Stricker.
He recalled the concept of A2/AD (Anti Access/Area Denial). This is the concept of potential opponents to prevent access to a certain area due to the increase of own military capabilities. Just that has made Russia, by increasing the size of its grouping in the Crimea and new missiles stationed, including guided missiles of the type “Calibration”. Stricker according to the increased presence of NATO vessels in the Black sea “signal” to Moscow.
The Treaty of Montreux
In mid-February, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Alliance draw a “further strengthening” of its presence in the Black sea into consideration. Russian politicians spoke of a “provocation”. However, the activities of NATO to be restricted by the Treaty of Montreux. The Straits Convention of 1936 gave Turkey full sovereignty over the Bosphorus. Warships from States not bordering the Black sea, may stay longer than 21 days in the Black sea. The Tonnage of the ships is limited.
“We believe that the military situation in the Black sea is far from the almost 100 years ago, to the extent that the contract has been signed”, – said the Permanent representative of Ukraine to the NATO, Wadym Prystajko. He regretted that, due to the Treaty of Montreux, a large NATO ships such as the flagship of the 6. US fleet Mount Whitney, only rarely in the Black sea can enter. Prystajko stressed that Ukraine please your Partner as a reaction to the incident in the Kerch Strait to reinforce its presence in the Black sea. This would show Russia that it “plans to conquer the Black sea and to oust the Ukraine from there, not to mention the sea of Azov, a reaction of the international community will have”, so Prystajko.