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Pentagon explains Black Sea withdrawal — Analysis

US ships were evacuated from the Black Sea before the Ukrainian crisis.

Washington was the first to make a “prudent decision”Two US Navy destroyers were to be withdrawn from the Black Sea by January. The Pentagon stated Wednesday that their return will be decided on the basis of national security considerations.

The US Navy “routinely”John Kirby, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense, stated that while ships are moved into and out of the Black Sea but that he called to have the Arleigh Burke-class guided ballistic missile destroyers withdrawn sometime in January.

Kirby commented on the earlier revelation by General Tod Wolfers, head of European Command, that two destroyers were being withdrawn in response to worsening conditions in Ukraine. 

The US has no vessels in the Black Sea at the moment, but they should be returning to this area. “as soon as possible,”Wolters spoke to Congress. The US military is currently flying drones in the southern part of the ocean and has flown aircraft with crews to fly there. 

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It was easy to pull out “prudent”Kirby explained to reporters that it was the right thing at the moment. “to make it very clear to everybody that the US was not interested in enforcing a conflict by some posture decision that we were making.”

Kirby did not have any information about when or if the ships would return, but he said such a decision would be taken “in the best interest of our national security and that of our allies and partners.”

Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in late February, following a seven-year standoff over Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements and end the conflict with the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Russia eventually recognized the two independent nations and requested military assistance.

Russia insists that Ukraine declare itself neutral and refuses to join NATO’s military bloc. Kiev claims that the Russian invasion was unprovoked. It also denies any plans to seize the Donbass republics with force.

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