KIEV: Ukraine’s acting president asked parliamentary approval on Wednesday for a set of military exercises with NATO partners that would put US troops in direct proximity with Russia’s forces in the annexed Crimea peninsula.

Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov’s request came as the chief of Russia’s general staff announced in Moscow that his forces were now in full control of all 193 military bases Ukraine had in the Black Sea region prior to its seizure by Kremlin forces at the start of the month. Turchynov said Ukraine would like to conduct two sets of military exercises with the United Sates this summer — Rapid Trident and Sea Breeze — that have prompted disquiet in Russia in previous years.

Ukraine is planning two additional manuevers with NATO member Poland as well joint ground operations with Moldova and Romania.

US President Barack Obama’s administration this month proposed a 28-percent spending cut to a Pentagon initiative that supports modernising the armed forces of Ukraine and other ex-Soviet states. But a Pentagon spokeswoman said that both Rapid Trident and Sea Breeze were still expected to proceed on schedule in the coming months.