State Department Spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the State Department on Jan 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. (MANDEL NGAN / AFP)

ANKARA/MOSCOW - The United States will send two warships to the Black Sea next week, Turkey said on Friday as Russia accused NATO powers that do not have a coastline in the region of increasing naval activity.

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The Pentagon declined to discuss Turkey’s comments but said the military routinely sends ships to the region.

“That’s not anything new,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in Washington, referring to US military ships in the Black Sea.

Violence has flared between Ukrainian troops and the separatists. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a telephone conversation with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, accused Ukraine on Friday of “dangerous provocative actions” in the Donbass region.

ALSO READ: Ukraine's president visits Donbass as tension mounts

Turkey, a NATO ally, said on Friday the United States would deploy two warships to the Black Sea from April 14-15.

“A notice was sent to us 15 days ago via diplomatic channels that two US warships would pass to the Black Sea, in line with the Montreux Convention. The ships will remain in the Black Sea until May 4,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said.