© AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov
Moscow regards preparations for the US-Georgian military exercises (Noble Partner 2016) as a provocation aimed at deliberate destabilization of the military-political situation in South Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"We consider this sustainable 'reclamation' of the Georgian territory by the NATO military as a provocative step aimed at c destabilization of the military-political situation in South Caucasus. Washington and its allies that are openly appeasing Tbilisi's revanchist aspirations also contribute to that to a considerable degree," the ministry said.The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the Noble Partner 2016 maneuvers had several objectives, including to prepare the Georgian army for participation in the NATO Response Force (NRF) and strengthen the Georgian potential of territorial self-defense.
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Pentagon To Send In Tanks And Troops To The Republic Of Georgia, Military Exercises Or Military Buildup !
The Pentagon has begun the process today of loading tanks onto ferries in Varna, Bulgaria, to make their way across the Black Sea to Batumi, in the Republic of Georgia, where they will be used in upcoming military exercises, which will involve some 650 US troops and 150 British troops.
This is the second year of the exercise, which appears to be meant to be an annual event, and the first time US combat tanks will be involved. Last year, the US sent Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Georgia for the operation.
The Georgian Defense Ministry announced the deployment would happen back in January, saying at the time that the presence of the tanks would underscore US support for the Georgian Republic against Russia.
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