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U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel toured an American warship docked at a Romanian port on the Black Sea on Thursday (June 5), a short sail from the disputed Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine.
The USS Vella Gulf, a Ticonderoga class Aegis missile cruiser, will participate in naval exercises with ships of the Romanian navy this weekend, an effort to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to its NATO ally and to security in the region.
Hagel toured the ship with Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa.
The U.S. has maintained a naval presence in the Black Sea since mid-March. The USS Vella Gulf is the fourth ship deployed to the region.
