Russia is ready to retaliate if the US ship crosses Russia's territorial maritime borders and carries out provocations in the Black Sea. This was reported on Monday by Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the Federation Council, on the air of the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
"Retaliatory measures are possible, but they will be used, in my deep conviction, if and when the Americans begin to cross red lines, begin to provoke the Russian fleet in the region, begin to cross our territorial maritime borders, enter our territorial waters. We have already repeatedly demonstrated the determination of the Russian side in this regard. <...> And, of course, we will be ready to do so in this situation as well," he said.
According to Kosachev, the joint operation of the American command ship with NATO forces in the Black Sea is a provocation, which should be considered in conjunction with what is happening in southeastern Ukraine. "There is no doubt that this is a provocation, and by no means the first. <...> It is happening now with the participation of the same warships, when the situation in the south-east of Ukraine, in Donbas, is clearly escalating, due to the fact that the Ukrainian side is clearly preparing a combat military operation," he stressed.
The senator also added that the US is interested in Russia's response, as it will help the Americans justify their military support for Ukraine and the build-up of a permanent military presence in the region. "In this sense, we need to be sure to always carefully calculate every step we take, not to give in to emotions, know all the cynicism of what the Americans are doing, and, without yielding to provocations, be ready for any scenario, including the worst," he said.
Kosachev said that "Americans have no strategy as a rule. They didn't have it in Iraq, they didn't have it in Libya, they didn't have it in Syria, they didn't have it in Afghanistan, and now they probably don't have it in the Black Sea. I have a feeling that the Americans are doing it by the trial-and-error method here as well.
The US Navy's sixth fleet announced on Twitter on Monday that the flagship command ship Mount Whitney was headed to the Black Sea to conduct joint operations with NATO forces. The US Navy's guided-missile destroyer Porter also entered the Black Sea on October 30 for joint operations with North Atlantic Alliance forces.
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Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS