Washington. October 20. INTERFAX - The United States will continue to hinder Russia's attempts to gain a dominant position in the Black Sea region, the head of the US defense department, Lloyd Austin, said at a press conference in Romania on Wednesday.
"I can say that Russia's destabilizing activities in and near the Black Sea reflect its desire to regain a dominant position in the region and prevent the realization of unity, freedom and peace in Europe," Austin said after a meeting with Romanian Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuque.
"I believe our positions in the region continue to pose a significant threat to Russia and allow NATO forces to act more effectively if deterrence fails," Austin added.
According to the Pentagon chief, he discussed with his Romanian counterpart "the importance of strengthening cooperation with allies in the Black Sea and partners in order to deter and protect against harmful Russian activity in the region."
According to him, American positions in the region are confirmed by "the desire to maintain the rotational presence of US forces." Austin noted that there are about a thousand American military personnel in Romania at the moment, and this is enough to effectively counter threats.
