NATO warship enters Ukraine's port of Odessa: Reports

The Auvergne multipurpose frigate of the French Navy entered waters of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa early Friday and invited the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksiy Neizhpapa, to be the first to step aboard, the city Dumskaya online news outlet reported. The frigate entered the Black Sea on December 14 and will stay in Odessa until Tuesday, the media reported. The warship is the tenth NATO ship which has visited Odessa this year.

Auvergne is the most cutting-edge ship of the French fleet, which it joined in February 2018, Dumskaya reported. The vessel is 142 meters long (465.9 feet) and 20 meters broad with a draft of 5 meters. The ship is reportedly equipped with the most advanced radio-electronic device. In November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the alliance is pursuing an aggressive policy towards Russia, including the recent military buildup in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported on the increased military activities of the United States and its NATO allies in the sea.

In 2016, Ukraine made amendments to its legislation, which opens the possibility for the country to join NATO. The former Soviet country will have to reach a number of accession standards, which will take a long time, according to former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.