Russia strikes deal to build new Black Sea naval base in breakaway Abkhazia region

euronews (in English)

Abkhasia's leader says he has agreed to allow Moscow to set up a naval base in the Black Sea port of Novorossysk after a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russia's fleet in Sevastopol.

Transcript

00:00 A gross violation of Georgia's sovereignty.

00:05 That's what the foreign minister in Tbilisi is calling a deal that will allow Russian

00:09 President Vladimir Putin to build a new naval base in the breakaway Abkhazia region.

00:16 Moscow has recognized the enclave and the territory of South Ossetia as independent

00:20 states since 2008.

00:23 On Thursday, Abkhazia's leader said he had agreed to allow Moscow to set up a naval base

00:28 in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russia's

00:33 fleet in Sevastopol.

00:36 Some experts say Putin is retreating in the face of Ukraine's counter-offensive, but others

00:40 say the move is a strategic one.

00:43 The UK's foreign and Commonwealth affairs chief says Russia may be expanding its naval

00:48 presence towards Turkey to prevent the safe passage of Ukrainian grain ships.

00:54 Experts fear that Russia is transferring warships to Abkhazia to pave the way for future annexation.

01:00 For now, only four other countries, including Syria and Venezuela, recognize the enclave's

01:04 independence.

01:05 (whooshing)

01:07 (whooshing)

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