Responding to turmoil in Ukraine, the U.S. Navy announced Wednesday that a guided missile destroyer had entered the Black Sea.

The USS Ross “serves to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to strengthening the collective security of NATO allies and partners in the region,” the Navy said in a press release.

“The U.S. Navy maintains an enduring commitment to forward-presence throughout the region in order to have forces readily available if a crisis were to occur,” the press release said, adding that the Ross will help support U.S. national security interests in Europe.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have been debating how best to respond after Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border and have widely been reported to be helping pro-Russia separatists fight the Ukrainian government.

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