NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke with Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu about the attacks on ships and security in the Black Sea. After the conversation, Rutte wrote on the X platform that the Alliance is strengthening its support and presence in the region.
„We discussed security in the Black Sea and how NATO is strengthening its support and presence“, Rutte said. He described the conversation with Niculescu as very good.
According to the Secretary General, the two agreed on the importance of continuing strong support for Ukraine. Freedom of navigation was also discussed, including in relation to the situation in the Middle East.
A series of attacks on merchant ships
The conversation took place against the backdrop of a series of incidents involving merchant vessels in the western Black Sea. On October 28, three naval drones hit a container ship off the Bulgarian coast, and the crew was rescued, the Associated Press reported. The agency noted that other attacks were also recorded off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in October.
NATO has already said that it is working with countries on its eastern flank to strengthen security and protect shipping. In this context, the conversation between Rutte and Niculescu focused on the Alliance's presence in the Black Sea, support for Ukraine and the free movement of vessels.
Sources: focus-news.net, ansa.it, apnews.com