{"id":24976,"date":"2022-01-29T13:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T18:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24976"},"modified":"2022-01-31T09:10:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T14:10:43","slug":"russia-moves-naval-exercises-further-away-from-irelands-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24976","title":{"rendered":"Russia Moves Naval Exercises Further Away From Ireland’s Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Russian Navy missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov southbound in the Norwegian Sea, accompanied by a fleet tug on January 25th (Forsvaret)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Russia says it will relocate naval exercises off the coast of Ireland after Dublin raised concerns about them amid a tense dispute with the West over expansion of the NATO alliance and fears that Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercises, planned for February 3rd to 8th, were to be held 150 miles off southwestern Ireland \u2014 in international waters but within Ireland\u2019s exclusive economic zone. Ireland is a member of the 27-nation European Union but not a member of NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney this week objected to the war games, saying \u201cThis isn\u2019t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what\u2019s happening with and in Ukraine. The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia\u2019s embassy in Ireland on Saturday posted a letter on Facebook from Ambassador Yuriy Filatov saying the exercises would be relocated outside of the Irish economic zone \u201dwith the aim not to hinder fishing activities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision was a rare concession amid the escalating tensions surrounding Russia\u2019s massing of an estimated 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and its demands that NATO promise never to allow Ukraine to join the alliance, stop the deployment of NATO weapons near Russian borders and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war.<\/p>\n

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