NATO-Russian naval confrontation on tap in Black Sea?

[Junkdrawer]

Tbilisia/Kiev/Moscow - A NATO-Russia naval confrontation in the Black Sea appeared days away on Tuesday, after American officials announced a US warship would attempt to enter a Georgian port controlled by Russian army and naval forces. US fleet elements will in coming weeks unload humanitarian aid in the Russia-controlled Georgian port Poti, US embassy spokesman Stephen Guice said in remarks widely reported by Georgian media.

The American announcement setting the stage for a direct US-Russia naval confrontation came against a background of continuing high tensions in the region in the wake of the Russia-Georgia conflict and with both Russia and NATO rushing warships into the Black Sea.

...

NATO currently has a total eight warships operating in the Black Sea, with a ninth frigate en route and expected on Georgia station in the next few days, Russian naval officials citing maritime intelligence said Tuesday.

But Moscow also has responded to the apparent - if officially denied - NATO naval challenge by spiking its own Black Sea warship levels.

The flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, the guided missle cruiser Moscow, put to sea on Monday after returning to its home base port Sevastopol, Ukraine.

...



http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/228055,nato-russian-naval-controntation-on-tap-in-black-sea--feature.html

Not liking this. Somebody blink please....

[bushmeister0]

1. Someone already did. Us.

"TBILISI - The US embassy in Tbilisi on Tuesday retracted a statement saying a US destroyer and another ship were headed for the Georgian port city of Poti, where Russian forces are deployed.

More: http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&t...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3454331&mesg_id=3454397

[Junkdrawer]

2. Starting to look like the 1981 Psyops that proceeded Able Archer 83....

and, what many experts agree, was the closest the US and Russia ever got to all-out nuclear war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83

That might explain why there's been so little in the press. If/when Russia reacts, we'd like it to look like it was unprovoked.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Why does Ukraine still allow Russia to sail out of its port?

Given the tensions between the two countries, I'm surprised that Ukraine allows Russia to conduct its military exercises out of foriegn soil. Perhaps it is the subtle threat that they don't want Russia to do to it what they did to Georgia.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Russia signed a 20 lease in 1997...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/25/europe/ukraine.php

[bushmeister0]

5. Yeah, I don't think Ukraine has many options here.

Tensions are running high between Ukraine and Russia, right now, regarding Sevastopol.

Case in point:

RIA Novosti:

"Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who has been banned from entering Ukraine . .

The outspoken mayor, 71, has made a series of anti-Ukraine statements since being blacklisted by Kiev in May for suggesting Ukraine's Black Sea city of Sevastopol should be handed over to Russia. Earlier this month he said the treaty on friendship and cooperation between Russia and Ukraine should not be extended when it expires this year.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080719/114429747.html

Kommersant.com:

"Ukrainian authorities introduced Monday the timeless ban on visits of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Luzhkov called on to focus on getting back Sevastopol during the celebration of the 225th anniversary of the RF Black Sea Fleet held in that city of Ukrainian Crimea . . .

In Luzhkov’s interpretation, the truth is that Russia should have Sevastopol back under its jurisdiction. When Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev handed over Crimea to Ukraine, the mayor went on, he 'didn’t take pains to properly execute it, and everything was given without mentioning Sevastopol. 'So far, Sevastopol has been never handed over to Ukraine, according to historic documents. The issue of Sevastopol should be brought to the international court… I’ll officially address leaders of our state, the State Duma, the Federation Council to raise the Sevastopol issue anew.'

The Security Council of Ukraine was the first to rebuff by banning the Moscow mayor from any new visits to the country. Besides, the detectives in Ukraine are probing into his potential involvement in money laundering in Sevastopol.

http://www.kommersant.com/p890983

Read all about it here:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bushmeister0/55

Besides, Ukraine already tried stopping Russian ships from entering Sevastopol and it didn't work out too well:

Aug 19:

"Russia's foreign minister warned Ukrainian leaders Tuesday against trying to restrict the Kremlin's use of a Crimean naval base it leases from Ukraine, adding to tensions that have heated up since Russian troops invaded Georgia.

Ukraine's pro-Western president, Victor Yushchenko, has sided with Georgia and moved last week to restrict Russian warships at the leased military base at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol, saying the vessels' movements were subject to Ukrainian approval.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed that argument in a sharply worded barb Tuesday, saying Russia's ships don't need any permission to use the port.

The lease agreement says 'nothing about us needing to explain to someone why, where to and for how long the Black Sea Fleet ships are leaving their walls,' Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's state-controlled ITAR-Tass news agency.

Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko sought to cool tensions, saying his country wouldn't physically prevent Russian ships from entering or leaving the naval base.

'Without a doubt, there won't be any mine fences or military collisions; one shouldn't even talk about that,' Ohryzko said in Kiev, the Interfax news agency reported."

http://www.620ktar.com/index.php?nid=46&sid=938981

The missile crusier Moskva and other support ships entered without incident on the 22nd.