Turkey says U.S. warships to deploy in Black Sea until May 4

ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States has informed Turkey that two of its warships will pass through Turkish straits to be deployed in the Black Sea until May 4, Ankara said on Friday, as Russia has bulked up its military forces on Ukraine's eastern border.

Violence has recently flared between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donbass region. Germany has asked Russia to pull back its troops, while Moscow has accused Kyiv of provocations.