LONDON (CU)_Britain will deploy two warships to the Black Sea next month, with the aim of showing solidarity with Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia, the Sunday Times reported. Citing senior naval sources, the newspaper said a Type 45 destroyer and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will depart from the Mediterranean and head to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus in May.
It added that the destroyer will be armed with anti-aircraft missiles, while RAF F-35B Lightning stealth jets, as well as Merlin submarine-hunting helicopters will stand ready on HMS Queen Elizabeth, the task group’s flag ship, in support of the battleships in the Black Sea.
Over the recent weeks tensions have heightened between Moscow and Kyiv amid a build-up of Russian military Ukraine’s borders, with clashes escalating in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.
Meanwhile, sources have revealed that the British government is closely working with Kyiv to monitor the situation, while London continues to call on Moscow to de-escalate. “The UK and our international allies are unwavering in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the Sunday Times quoted a spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defence as saying.
Earlier this month, the United States cancelled its plans to deploy two of its own warships to the Black Sea, amid concerns over escalating tensions on Ukraine’s borders. Officials said on Wednesday (14 April) that the US Embassy in Ankara had notified the Turkish foreign ministry of Washington’s decision to cancel the plans which were previously described by Russia as an unfriendly provocation.
Apart from British officials, world leaders from the US, Turkey and Germany, as well as the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have called on Moscow to deescalate tensions. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, US President Joe Biden proposed a summit between the estranged leaders in Moscow and Kyiv for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
