Russia will not allow itself to weaken its position in the Black Sea.
Russia stands firm on the Black Sea and will not allow its position in the region to be weakened.
According to RIA Novost, Russian Presidential Assistant Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with Kommersant newspaper that Moscow will not allow the permanent naval presence of countries outside the Black Sea.
“Westerners must understand that Russia stands firm in the Black Sea and we will not allow our position in this region to be weakened. Moreover, we will not allow the continued presence of navies of countries outside the Black Sea in violation of the Montreux Convention,” the Russian presidential aide said.
Mr. Patrushev added that he recently visited Crimea, where he held a meeting with the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. He noted that the fleet is combat-ready and ready to counter threats from all sea directions.
“Our fleet is not defeated in the Black Sea and this happens despite the fact that Ukraine's aggressive actions in this region are coordinated by NATO experts,” the presidential aide said.
In addition, Mr. Patrushev believes that the British and American navies have lost their strength. According to him, Britain once considered itself a “mistress of the sea,” but over time it has been burdened with an excessive burden, simply overestimating its own strength. As a result, it has lost its naval power.
“Signs of the decline of sea power are similar to those in the United States. On paper, they have a huge fleet, but in reality, the morale of sailors is low, there is a constant shortage of personnel, repair capacity and workers,” Patrushev added.
The Montreux Convention was adopted in 1936. It guarantees freedom of passage for merchant ships through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in peacetime and wartime, but establishes different maritime regimes. At the same time, the document limits the stay of warships of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea to three weeks. In emergency situations, Türkiye can prohibit or restrict military passage through the straits.
Since the start of the crisis in Ukraine, Ankara has used these powers to ban warships from passing through its straits.
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