Putin says no need to escalate Black Sea tensions with NATO, rejects snap drills

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in Artificial Intelligence Journey 2021 conference arranged by Sberbank in Moscow, Russia November 12, 2021. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he had rejected a defence ministry proposal to hold snap Black Sea military drills in response to NATO activity because he did not want to escalate tensions in the region.

Russia has complained about what it has called a dangerous increase in military activity by the United States and its allies in the Black Sea region with greater Western spy plane activity, more strategic bombers flights, and the presence of two U.S. warships.