Ukrainian officials are reporting the U.S. is about to step up its efforts to not only support the efforts of Ukraine but to also get Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of the ports they are blockading. As Moscow threatens global food supplies, the need to get them out is growing exponentially and the Ukrainians can end that problem for the globe. Given the resources the U.S. and other nations have provided, it’s the least they can do.
It also serves the best interests of Ukrainians. As one of the chief exporters of grain across the globe, there is a growing concern that this blockade could result in a global food shortage. Never mind the numerous food storage and production sites that have suffered problems out of nowhere in the last few months here in the U.S. This is forcing the U.S. to take a bigger role in the efforts to get them out, according to Ukrainian officials.
Anton Gerashchenko is an internal affairs advisor with the Ukrainian ministry. On May 20th he tweeted about how the U.S. “is preparing a plan to destroy the Black Sea Fleet… The effective work of the Ukrainians on warships convinced (the USA) to prepare a plan to unblock the ports. Deliveries of powerful anti-ship weapons (Harpoon and Naval Strike Missile with a range of 250-300 km) are being discussed.” These kinds of deliveries are not only crucial for Ukrainian success, but they send a message to Russia and other nations that the U.S. will help protect interests in areas that need our assistance.
This statement comes hot on the heels of a Reuters report about the American plans to give Ukrainian troops anti-ship missiles to defeat the naval blockade. Biden officials, as well as congressional sources, have claimed that the anti-ship missiles Gerashchenko spoke of may be transferred directly, or through a European ally. With no specific timetable, location, or method of delivery being made known, there is still a lot to work out before this agreement can go through.
While the Javelin and Stinger missiles the U.S. has provided Ukraine work great against tanks, large troop movements, and other land-based objects, the armor, and defenses Russian ships are equipped with make them less lethal. Given the locations of these Russian ships, the more accurate and lethal the rounds, the more effective they are for the mission. Back in April, the Ukrainians were able to sink the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship Moskva.
One of the weapons being discussed heavily is the Harpoon. A missile made by Boeing, they aren’t designed to be fired from land, and the risks of them being captured by the Russians are greater than they would like to see. Nobody wants to be the first one to supply them or the only nation. With the best use of them being at sea, there is a heavy discussion of removing a launcher from a U.S. ship for them, but then the question becomes which ship, and how to keep our defenses up.
Numerous messages have been delivered to Putin about the crisis, and how it is impacting the global economy. As nations are seeing their prices rise, one of the biggest concerns is the rot from this grain as ships remain trapped in ports and supplies decrease.
United Nations food chief, David Beasley decided to try an appeal directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “If you have any heart at all, you need to open up those ports.”
As the Kremlin and Putin have already shown, they could care less about what the Ukrainian people or the globe needs. All they care about is their own agenda, and nothing else. Sounds a lot like the Democrats we have here.
