“With three NATO member states on the shores of the Black Sea, a similar operation could be replicated by the alliance, said retired Adm. James Stavridis, who took part in the Navy convoy mission, known as Operation Earnest Will.
“NATO and the U.S. could escort the grain shipments at sea, something they have plenty of capability to do with three major NATO nations in the Black Sea,” he said in an email. “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.””
““It just drives up the cost and the risk of sea freight trade with Ukraine through Black Sea ports,” said Christopher Barrett, an agricultural economist at Cornell University. “That’s presumably Russia’s objective: It’s trying to isolate Ukraine and impose pain on Ukraine—and that means also imposing some pain on Ukraine’s trade partners.””
““If this was the South China Sea, we would be conducting freedom of navigation operations,” said Kurt Volker, who served as a U.S. ambassador to NATO during the George W. Bush administration. “Because of the unwillingness to confront Russia, we are backing off from this principle, which we have otherwise stood by.””
This can only be sheer desperation. Ukraine is not going to get hurt sufficiently by destroying grain exports, the money they lose from that is easily compensated by western allies. Putin is intentionally trying to provoke a worldwide famine to bring pressure for negotiations, that is the only theoretical part where this could benefit him. It is time NATO starts protecting Ukrainian airspace west of Dnipro from any missile attack.
Maybe Putin can gaslight a bit more with lies about the vast majority of thee grain going to EU and not poor countries, when UN data clearly shows that 65% went to developing nations, and that the poorest countries received more Ukrainian grain than before the war.
I gotta say China how does it feel knowing that the free munitions you just sent are now burning the food you’re never gonna eat called that one wrong, huh?
For those curious Putin is playing a long game. Destroying grain export will cause famine in North Africa and a mass migration into Europe. This will help radical parties in the EU gain more sway who will stop supporting Ukraine.
It the same in the US expect massive disinformation around the US election to try and get someone elected who would stop support for Ukraine.
If both of these fail expect Russia to actually come to the diplomacy table.
Ruzians claim that current escalation is a “vengeance” for the bridge, but they lie, as always. They were preparing for “grain deal end”. Most likely we now see predicted “green light” that NATO summit literally gave to Putin.
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“With three NATO member states on the shores of the Black Sea, a similar operation could be replicated by the alliance, said retired Adm. James Stavridis, who took part in the Navy convoy mission, known as Operation Earnest Will.
“NATO and the U.S. could escort the grain shipments at sea, something they have plenty of capability to do with three major NATO nations in the Black Sea,” he said in an email. “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.””
““It just drives up the cost and the risk of sea freight trade with Ukraine through Black Sea ports,” said Christopher Barrett, an agricultural economist at Cornell University. “That’s presumably Russia’s objective: It’s trying to isolate Ukraine and impose pain on Ukraine—and that means also imposing some pain on Ukraine’s trade partners.””
““If this was the South China Sea, we would be conducting freedom of navigation operations,” said Kurt Volker, who served as a U.S. ambassador to NATO during the George W. Bush administration. “Because of the unwillingness to confront Russia, we are backing off from this principle, which we have otherwise stood by.””
This can only be sheer desperation. Ukraine is not going to get hurt sufficiently by destroying grain exports, the money they lose from that is easily compensated by western allies. Putin is intentionally trying to provoke a worldwide famine to bring pressure for negotiations, that is the only theoretical part where this could benefit him. It is time NATO starts protecting Ukrainian airspace west of Dnipro from any missile attack.
Maybe Putin can gaslight a bit more with lies about the vast majority of thee grain going to EU and not poor countries, when UN data clearly shows that 65% went to developing nations, and that the poorest countries received more Ukrainian grain than before the war.
I gotta say China how does it feel knowing that the free munitions you just sent are now burning the food you’re never gonna eat called that one wrong, huh?
For those curious Putin is playing a long game. Destroying grain export will cause famine in North Africa and a mass migration into Europe. This will help radical parties in the EU gain more sway who will stop supporting Ukraine.
It the same in the US expect massive disinformation around the US election to try and get someone elected who would stop support for Ukraine.
If both of these fail expect Russia to actually come to the diplomacy table.
Ruzians claim that current escalation is a “vengeance” for the bridge, but they lie, as always. They were preparing for “grain deal end”. Most likely we now see predicted “green light” that NATO summit literally gave to Putin.