Admiral Stavridis on a Plan to Get Ukrainian Wheat Out of a Warzone
Jul 4, 2022
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Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and author, discusses critical strategies to export Ukrainian wheat despite the ongoing conflict. He highlights the urgent need for safe transport routes amid Russia's blockade of the Black Sea, which threatens global food security. Stavridis suggests reviving military tactics from the Tanker War to ensure safe passage for grain shipments. The conversation also touches on the historical context of maritime security operations and the logistical challenges presented by demining efforts in Ukraine's waterways.
Inflation was running hot even before Russia invaded Ukraine, but disruption in Europe's bread basket certainly hasn't helped matters and there are now plenty of warnings that a global food shortage could be looming. Even if the normal cycle of sowing crops and harvesting them can keep going uninterrupted in Ukraine, wheat exports would still need to get out of the country. With Russia currently blockading the Black Sea, this seems like a major challenge. In this episode of Odd Lots, former Nato Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis presents one idea to get Ukrainian grains out and to the rest of the world. He suggests reaching back to a military playbook last used in the Tanker War between Iraq and Iran.