Putin says no need to escalate Black Sea tensions with NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he had rejected a defense ministry proposal to hold snap Black Sea military drills in response to NATO activity because he did not want to escalate tensions in the region.

Russia has complained about what it has called a dangerous increase in military activity by the United States and its allies in the Black Sea region with greater Western spy plane activity, more strategic bombers flights, and the presence of two U.S. warships. Some of the activity has been taking place in the vicinity of Crimea.

Tensions are also high over what U.S. officials have called a Russian military build-up near Ukraine and a migrant standoff between Belarus and the European Union.

According to the interview transcript published on the Kremlin website, Putin said he did not want to fuel tensions in the Black Sea area.

"I should say that our Defense Ministry also suggested holding an unscheduled drill in the area of the Black Sea, but I do not think it is expedient, and there is no need to aggravate the situation there even further," Putin said.

"For that reason, the Russian Defense Ministry has limited its actions to escorting their (NATO) aircraft and ships, Putin told the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

The United States has said its warships are in the Black Sea to enhance collaboration with NATO allies in the region.

"The United States and their NATO allies are presently conducting an unscheduled, and I want to stress that it is unscheduled, drill in the Black Sea," Putin said.

"This is a grave challenge for us."

(CGTN)