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Naval Power Is Issue In Black Sea

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The New York Times

Published: August 28, 2008

MOSCOW - Russian commanders said Wednesday that they were growing alarmed at the number of NATO warships sailing into the Black Sea, saying NATO vessels now outnumbered the ships in their fleet anchored off the western coast of Georgia.

As attention turned to the balance of naval power in the sea, the leader of the separatist region of Abkhazia said he would invite Russia to establish a naval base at Sukhumi, a deep-water port in the territory.

The United States was pursuing a delicate policy of delivering humanitarian aid on military transport planes and ships, apparently to illustrate to the Russians that they do not fully control Georgia's airspace or coastline.

The policy has left American and Russian naval vessels maneuvering in close proximity off the western coast of Georgia, with the Americans concentrated near the southern port of Batumi and the Russians around the central port of Poti. It has left the Kremlin suspicious of U.S. motives.

"What the Americans call humanitarian cargoes - of course, they are bringing in weapons," Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said."

The White House dismissed the assertion.

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