Russia has deployed naval assets to escort a sanctioned oil tanker across the Atlantic following reported moves by the United States to seize the vessel.
US forces were said to be preparing to board the ship, which has a history of transporting Venezuelan crude oil and was last believed to be sailing between Scotland and Iceland.
CBS News reported that Russia stepped in to protect the tanker, raising the prospect of a direct confrontation between the two powers at sea. 
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By sending naval ships into the North Atlantic, Russian President Vladimir Putin is signalling to United States President Donald Trump that any US action would carry consequences, coming after the US president threatened that he might use the military to seize Greenland.
The tanker, currently empty, previously operated under the name Bella 1. Last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean with a warrant over alleged breaches of US sanctions and claims that it had shipped Iranian oil.
