Although Russia has watched the arrival of the USS Mount Whitney and other U.S. ships in recent weeks with deep suspicion, a Foreign Ministry official said Russia does not plan any military action to the U.S. naval presence in the Black Sea.
The Whitney was the first Navy ship to travel to Poti since Georgia fought a short war with Russia last month. The ship anchored just offshore from the port, according to harbor master Vakhtang Tavberidze.
As the Russians note (and as I've noted) these ships aren't ideal for sending relief supplies (or weapons, as the Russians allege, if the Russians even tried to be a bit honest).
But their purpose is political. We bolster the Georgians and warn off the Russians in a gentle and increasingly robust form.
