Russia’s militarisation of Crimea will affect entier Black Sea, NATO military commander warns

NATO’s top military commander said during a visit to Kiev on Wednesday that Russian forces were still operating in eastern Ukraine, providing the “backbone” to separatist rebels fighting government forces.

NATO’s top military commander has also warned that Russia’s “militarisation” of the annexed Crimea region could be used by Moscow to exert control across the whole Black Sea region.

Biden ends Turkey visit

US Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday wrapped up a key visit to Turkey without a breakthrough on military co-operation in the Syrian crisis but with officials confident the talks brought their positions closer.

During his three-day trip to Istanbul, Biden held several hours of talks with both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the crises created by the capture by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadists of swathes of Iraq and Syria.