The American embassy in Kyiv flatly rejected assertions by pro-Russian opposition groups that NATO intended to establish a military installation in southern Ukraine, calling the claims false.
The denial came after protests in Crimea over the arrival of a US Navy vessel participating in joint Ukrainian-NATO exercises dubbed Sea Breeze 2006. Opposition groups alleged the ship had delivered weapons; American and Ukrainian officials said its cargo consisted of construction materials for a military training facility.
Embassy spokesman Brent Byers identified the destination as the Starokrymsky training site in Crimea, where the supplies would be used to upgrade basic living conditions for personnel there.
The Sea Breeze exercises are designed to build military cooperation between NATO members and former Warsaw Pact states now enrolled in the alliance's Partnership for Peace program.
President Viktor Yushchenko supports Ukraine eventually joining NATO, but a substantial share of the population is opposed. Resistance to the alliance is especially pronounced in Crimea, where Russia maintains its Black Sea Fleet.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.