Romania President Tours U.S. Warship, Hails 'Solidarity' on Ukraine
Romanian President Traian Basescu toured a U.S. warship stationed at the Black Sea port of Constanta on Monday, thanking the country's NATO allies for their "solidarity" in the face of Russia's actions in neighboring Ukraine.
Basescu visited the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, stationed in Constanta along with French reconnaissance ship Dupuy de Lome after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis.
The standoff has seen Russia annex the strategic Crimean peninsula halfway across the Black Sea from Constanta, putting neighboring countries on edge.
Romania has urged NATO to redeploy its forces in eastern Europe, voicing concern over a potential spread of the crisis.
"The presence of U.S. and French ships is intended as a message of stability for the region and shows NATO's solidarity when security is threatened," Basescu said.
The U.S. had previously sent another destroyer, the USS Truxtun, to the Black Sea in March, when the crisis between Russia and Ukraine erupted.
Basescu hailed NATO's "continuous presence here aimed at reinforcing interoperability with the Romanian navy".
Source: Agence France Presse
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