Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative last week, citing the systematic failure by the US and Europe to facilitate the export of Russian foodstuffs and fertilizers. The Russian Foreign Ministry subsequently warned that it could no longer guarantee the safety of navigation through the northwestern Black Sea.
Retired US admiral and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis has proposed deploying alliance forces in the Black Sea and having them attack Russian warships if they attempt to target ships streaming into or out of Ukrainian ports.
“NATO and the US could escort the grain shipments at sea, something they have plenty of capability to do with three major NATO nations in the Black Sea,” Stavridis told US media, referring to Black Sea-adjacent NATO members Turkiye, Bulgaria and Romania.
“With well stated warnings to the Russian Black Sea fleet, NATO should return fire if a Russian warship were to attack a grain ship, which is essentially a humanitarian vessel operating in international waters,” the retired admiral added.
Stavridis knows a thing or two about aggressive naval operations far from Western countries’ home shores. From 1987-1988, he took part in enforcing ‘Operation Earnest Will’, the US military operation protecting Kuwaiti tankers during the Iran-Iraq War. That operation led to US attacks on Iranian warships, and on July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes missile cruiser shot down an Iranian civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 passengers and crew onboard.
Stavridis did not elaborate on the potential consequences of firing on Russian ships in the Black Sea, which would constitute an overt act of war......more below
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said that the treaty provides for various forms of bilateral cooperation.
The comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran has entered into force, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told Sputnik.
"It is already binding," Jalali said when asked about the date of entry into force of the agreement, as well as whether Iran had notified Russia of the completion of internal procedures.
He recalled that the treaty was ratified by both chambers of the Russian parliament, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it. At the same time, the document was ratified by the Iranian parliament, approved by the Guardian Council, and the president issued it as a law.
"Therefore, in both countries it currently has the form of a law and, naturally, has entered into force," Jalali said.
On January 17, Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, met in Moscow to sign the Comprehensive Strategic ...
Defying the United States threats, ministers from more than 30 nations have packed Bogotá’s San Carlos Palace to charge the Israeli regime with genocide over its October 2023-present brutal military assault against the Gaza Strip.
The dramatic display of international solidarity saw dozens of high-ranking officials from across the globe convene inside the stately palace on Tuesday, determined to hold the regime accountable for, what they unequivocally called, a “war of genocide.”
The two-day emergency summit, organized under the auspices of The Hague Group -- a coalition co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa -- had representatives, ranging from such countries as Algeria and Brazil to Pakistan and Spain, in attendance.
The participants described the drive as a coordinated effort to stop the Israeli atrocities.
Behind closed doors, ministers and envoys, meanwhile, engaged in intensive sessions aimed at drafting collective measures to pressure the regime -- steps expected to be unveiled by ...
