Putin: NATO Exercises in the Black Sea “Serious Challenge”

THE Vladimir Putin described NATO military exercises in the Black Sea as a “serious challenge” to Russia, in an interview that was published today.

“The United States and its NATO allies are conducting unplanned exercises in the Black Sea. Not only with a fairly strong naval team, but also with aviation, including strategic aviation. “, Putin said in an interview on Russian television, which was posted on the Kremlin website.

Putin also denied any wrongdoing migration crisis on the border between Belarus and Poland, where thousands of immigrants have been gathering for days. “I want everyone to know. We have nothing to do with it “, the president told the Vesti network, after several from the West accused him this week of orchestrating with Minsk the sending of these migrants to the border.

In comments posted on the Kremlin website, Putin He said he hoped Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would speak directly about the crisis and that migrants mainly wanted to go to Germany.

Putin also said that was not informed by Lukashenko about the possible termination of the transit of Russian gas to Europe, adding that he will talk to his Belarusian counterpart about this report from Minsk. Mr Lukashenko said on Thursday that before the EU imposed sanctions on Minsk, it would have to take into account the gas and products it receives through Belarus.

“It simply came to our notice then. I have spoken twice with Alexander Grigorievich (Lukashenko) and he never told me that, not even a hintPutin told Rossiya 24. “But it can, probably. Although there is nothing good about it, of course I will talk to him about it. “Unless he said it while boiling,” Putin added.