OREANDA-NEWS   Convoys of NATO warships may accompany ships with Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea after Russia withdraws from the grain deal, according to retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe. He found an excuse for the movement of alliance convoys in the Black Sea in a column for Bloomberg.

"How will this happen? Probably by combining merchant ships into convoys of three to five ships, each of which could be accompanied by a pair of warships with guided missiles," the admiral wrote. At the same time, he insisted that aviation conduct patrols to "track" the vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Stavridis believes that several fighter squadrons can be deployed at NATO bases in northern Turkey, Romania or Bulgaria. The former commander of NATO forces in Europe, however, stressed that conducting such operations could be complicated by Turkey's position controlling the exit from the Black Sea.

Moscow announced its withdrawal from the grain deal on July 17.