Moscow: Six Russian amphibious assault ships are sailing into the Black Sea to take part in naval exercises, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defence. A statement by the ministry read-“The Russian ships are moving into the area to “work out the actions of the Navy and Aerospace Forces to protect Russian national interests in the world ocean, as well as to counter military threats to the Russian Federation from sea and ocean directions.”
Surrounding Ukraine with more than 130,000 troops, along with military hardware and equipment, the Kremlin prepares for invading Ukraine. The military rivalry, which began on Thursday last week followed a diplomatic activity on both sides of the Atlantic. It remains obscured if the two-day meet involving leaders from the US, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine yielded any decision on de-escalation.
However, the French leader, who on Monday had a five-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin, said the Russian president had told him that Russia “would not be the source of an escalation”, despite amassing more than 100,000 troops and military hardware on Ukraine’s border. Macron in Berlin, a day later urged firm discourse with Russia as the only means to eradicate fears of invasion on its ex-Soviet neighbour.