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Second naval visit to Russia canceled

The frigate Ford’s scheduled September visit to Russia has been canceled, Navy officials said.

Navy spokesman Lt. Sean Robertson confirmed the cancellation Wednesday afternoon, saying the Navy is “looking at all military-to-military operations” with Russia. The Ford is currently in the 7th Fleet area.

Robertson declined to say whether Russia canceled the planned meeting in the far eastern region of Kamchatka or if the U.S. made the call. Robertson also declined to say how many U.S.-Russian operations are being reviewed.

“It will not happen. It would just be inappropriate for us at this time,” Robertson said.

This is the second time in just over a week a joint U.S.-Russian operation has been canceled.

On Aug. 13, the U.S. decided to pull out of Operation FRUKUS, a joint U.S.-Russian naval exercise scheduled to begin later this week off Russia’s Pacific coast. France and the United Kingdom also were to take part in the exercise. After the U.S. decision to pull out of the exercise, the British made a similar announcement, according to Agence France-Presse, echoing U.S. sentiment that continuation would be “highly inappropriate.”

The destroyer McCampbell was on its way to Russia to participate in the exercise, but had not yet made it to port, Robertson said.

“It’s just inappropriate to participate, given the current situation,” Robertson said.

Russian military forces invaded the former Soviet Republic of Georgia on Aug. 8. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that at the time of the attack, some 130 U.S. troops and contractors were in Georgia to prepare the Georgian forces for their next deployment to Iraq. All were accounted for, none had been injured, and there were no plans to pull them out of the country, Whitman said.

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