Amid the recent tensions, the United States notified Turkey that two U.S. warships would sail to the Black Sea on April 14 and April 15 and stay there until May 4 and May 5.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg used an unprecedented address to Congress on Wednesday to acknowledge strains in the pact and to pressure Russia to return to compliance with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The U.S. envoy to NATO on Tuesday said that Russia must halt development of new missiles that could carry nuclear warheads and warned that the United States could “take out” the system if it becomes operational.