US European Commander: Military Intervention May Be Needed to Lift Ukraine Grain Export Blockade

First Indication of Possible Direct U.S. Military Intervention
U.S. Department of Defense: "No Plans to Deploy Troops or Assets"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A U.S. general nominated as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stated that military intervention may be necessary to lift Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports. He warned that if the food crisis worsens, extremist terrorist groups in the Middle East could resurge, threatening U.S. security.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 26th (local time), General Christopher Cavoli, nominated as the commander of U.S. European Command, said at a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing that "to resume Ukraine's food exports, Russia's port blockade must be lifted, and U.S. forces may need to intervene for this purpose." He added, "If the food crisis deepens, extremist armed groups such as ISIS, Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram could benefit."

This is the first time a high-ranking U.S. military officer has officially suggested the possibility of direct military intervention in the Ukraine war. Until now, both the U.S. government and generals have refrained from officially commenting on the possibility of direct U.S. military involvement beyond arms support to Ukraine. General Cavoli also avoided answering whether he would recommend intervention to resume Ukraine's grain exports after assuming command of the European Command.

General Cavoli explained, "For now, we will need to use a combination of various transportation methods to bypass Russia's blockade." He noted, "Romania has allowed Ukraine to use the Black Sea port of Constan?a, but the amount of grain that can be exported through this port is only about 90,000 tons per day." It is estimated that over 25 million tons of grain are stored at Ukrainian ports. Accordingly, if Russia continues its strategy of weaponizing food, there is a prospect that the U.S. may become more deeply involved in the Ukraine war.

However, the U.S. Department of Defense drew a line regarding the possibility of military intervention to resume Ukraine's grain exports. On the same day, John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, emphasized in a briefing, "There are no plans to use U.S. military personnel or assets to support Ukraine's grain exports," adding, "The Biden administration is working with international partners and allies to find the best solutions."

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