U.S. warship to visit Ukrainian port at Sevastopol

U.S. warship to visit Ukrainian port at Sevastopol

en.rian.ru

SEVASTOPOL, November 5 (RIA Novosti) - The USS Mount Whitney will call at Ukraine's Black Sea port of Sevastopol, the city administration said on Wednesday.

The Blue Ridge class ship is a command and control vessel that coordinates the group of NATO ships in the Black Sea which also includes two U.S., one Spanish, one German and one Polish vessel.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What a hell is going on over there?

Isnt Sevastopol a Russian Naval Base? And what US war ship is doing there, so the City administration is the one who announces...

Here is something very smelly... Yesterday was a news that Ukraine is still aiding with arms Georgia, and next day there goes US warship...

3.11.2008 Ukraine ‘continues to arm Georgia’
www.russiatoday.com...

Are they loading those guns to US warships in front of the Russian Navy? Really!!!

( I am not suprised that Medvedev and Putin are pissed off right now! )

5.11.2008 Medvedev criticizes U.S. for South Ossetia conflict
en.rian.ru...

I think soon is going to blow again in Caucasus, and its not Russia witch is fueling this situation over there... And also we have to remember that first Gaddafi was in Moskow, and directly after that he fly to Ukraine...

Did he a job as diplomat because of this growing hostiles? Was he Negotiator?

We all know that Libya has just offer a naval base to Russia, and tightened their relations with Russia!

Lets keep our eyes on Black Sea right now!

en.rian.ru
(visit the link for the full news article)

Another great find JanusFIN. I seem to be following you around this evening

It seems that you're doing the same as me and looking to see what other news is being missed whilst the election win is being reported.

edited to say that I'd just been reading "Moscow denies Pentagon claims of 'stolen' Russian nuclear weapons" - source

[edit on 5-11-2008 by Maya00a]

Originally posted by JanusFIN
Isnt Sevastopol a Russian Naval Base? And what US war ship is doing there, so the City administration is the one who announces...

The Russian Black Sea Fleet uses Sevastapol has it's HQ and moors there, but the city is Ukrainian. The Ukrainian Navy also moors there. As far as foreign ships docking, it's up to Ukraine, not Russia.

However, the city is divided between ethnic Russians and Ukraine, and was for a long while a source of tension between the two countries, as many Russians see the city as theirs. They claim the city was never actually part of the Ukraine anyway, but they just inherited it after the collapse of the USSR.

According to the 1997 treaty, the Russian naval base is declared to be "located in Sevastopol" on the terms of a twenty year renewable lease, following a long diplomatic and political dispute between Russia and the newly independent Ukraine. At first, Moscow refused to recognize Ukrainian sovereignty over Sevastopol as well as over the surrounding Crimean oblast, arguing that the city was never practically integrated into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic due to its military base status. This claim has been relinquished in the bilateral "Peace & Friendship" treaty, which has confirmed that Sevastopol belongs to Ukraine. A separate treaty establishes the terms of a long-term lease of land and resources in Sevastopol by Russia.

The ex-Soviet Black Sea Fleet with all its facilities was divided between Russia's Black Sea Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy after a continuous, sometimes violent struggle. The two navies now co-use some of the city's harbours and piers, while others were demilitarised or used by either country. Sevastopol remains the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Headquarters with the Ukrainian Naval HQ also based in the city. A judicial row continues over the naval hydrographic infrastructure both in Sevastopol and on the Crimean coast (especially lighthouses used in civil navigation support).

reply to post by stumason


Thanks from lightening post!

No wonder that tensions can rise over there, when government is tracked from illegal arm sales, asking to join NATO, and US is driving their "aid" ships to harbor of Sevastopol... Same time Russia is making their presence more powerful in every way.

There is everything gathered in the same soup, I see.

Lets hope that there isnt any trigger happy drunking sailor in any of the boats...

Sevastopol is Ukrainian's port, so Ukraine has every a right to invite NATO ships there.


The problem is - Sevastopol much like the rest of Crimia has about 85% Russian population. The people there are very seriously opposed to any NATO presence. In the past they organized massive protests, and in fact have blockaded NATO's actions there, and NATO was forced to cancel its plans.

NATO ships may come in, but they will not be welcome by anybody in Sevastopol. There is no danger of course of any attacks against them or anything of the nature - this is not Middle East. But NATo should still tread carefully, or better yet not tread at all.

This can be seen a sort of provocation from NATO and Yuschenko. They know well enough that Crimia doesn't want NATO there, and yet they are going there anyway. Ukraine could have invited the ships to the port in Odessa just as well - and there would have been no issues.


Just a short inside look:

My extended family lives in a military officers' town from Soviet Era located at a bay north of Sevastopol. The town has virtually 100% Russian population. NATO engineers have visited the town and it is one of their primary choices for a new NATO naval base. If construction starts, the locals are ready to put all of their effort to block it by peaceful means. If NATO moves in, it will be a hostile territory for them, and it will be very very tense. The locals will not leave under any circumstances - most of the residents are a hardline bunch composed of ex-Soviet military officers and captains.



Regarding Crimea's past - it was never part of Ukraine. It shares nothing culturally or historically with Ukraine. It was Ottoman enclave territory untill Russia won it from them 250 years ago. From then on it was part of Russian Empire, and them Russian Soviet Republic. Khruschev (being a Ukrainian himself) decided to gift it to Ukraine in late 50's. It is still populated by Russians, and shares virtually nothing with Ukraine.

[edit on 5-11-2008 by maloy]