Kremlin calls increased NATO presence in Black Sea 'threat'

Moscow: Moscow views the increased presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces in the Black Sea as a threat and will take all necessary measures to ensure security, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

"The concentrated presence of NATO ships, considering also both Bulgaria and Romania, the coastal states that are members of the alliance ... poses an additional threat to the Russian Federation, especially considering the direct involvement of NATO states in the conflict around Ukraine," Peskov noted.

He said Russia would take all necessary measures to ensure its security, Xinhua news agency reported.

Peskov's comments came following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's latest decree on a new maritime security strategy. The decree outlines Kiev's strategy for ensuring security in the Black Sea and contains measures aimed at strengthening Ukraine's naval forces, including the permanent presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.