Russia has responded to NATO’s possible deployment of warships in the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would consider any plans to establish a permanent presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea as a threat. He also vowed that “Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure its security.” The fresh escalation came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on July 17 and proposed “ensuring the permanent presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.”