On April 15, AFP quoted Turkish officials and media as saying that the United States had canceled plans to deploy two warships to the Black Sea this week, amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine. .
Turkish diplomatic sources said the voyage of the first ship to pass through the Bosphorus on April 14 did not take place.
State news agency Anadolu said both deployments, scheduled for April 14 and 15, were canceled as Ankara has not been informed of any possible plans from the US side.
Last week, Turkey announced that it had been informed through diplomatic channels that two US warships “would head towards the Black Sea” and remained in the area until 4-5.
There was no confirmation from Washington of planned rollouts or cancellations.
Washington was obliged to notify Ankara at least 15 days before passing warships through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles under the terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention.
The Strait of Bosphorus in the Black Sea – Photo: AFP
The treaty provisions allow foreign warships to stay in the Black Sea for 21 days.
US Navy ships have regularly operated in the region to support Ukraine, which has been fighting against forces in its east since the pro-Moscow leader in Kiev was overthrown in 2014.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea at the same time, setting up a confrontation with the West that continues to this day.
Last week, the announcement of the US warship deployment came amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Kiev due to the reinforcement of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border.
These deployments came amid new clashes between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
News on April 14 about the cancellation of the deployment of US warships comes a day after US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
During that conversation, Biden proposed a summit with Putin in a neutral country and urged Russia to “reduce tensions,” according to the White House.
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