a case for crimea.

The Black sea, where the Crimean ports are situated, is a geopolitically important to the US for the safe passage of trade and military vessels in the international waters. In fact, our interests in the Black Sea is enshrined in US Defense Policy. US interests in Security in the Black Sea is the same concept as security in Taiwan strait.

 But since Russia has annexed Crimea and since the Full-scale invasion, the black sea has become an unsafe and vulnerable area and this can affect many nations, not only through safe navigation, but by blockades of critical global food supply, using “global hunger” as a form of terrorism. (Russia is known for these types of blockades to politically pressure other nations, like the many times when they cut gas off to Ukraine during winter  - threatening people to freeze.) Lastly, we want Ukraine to be self-sustainable one day. Without the Crimean ports, Ukraine’s ability to export its grain supply is severely crippled. (Ukraine is bread basket of world and grows 7x as much food as it consumes). They have been trying to export from Odessa region, which has been increasingly under attack as well - and are severely backed up as this is such a small port region. I talk about these ports in the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YGP-vjiQKU&t=80s

TO understand the ramifications of a terrorist state like Russia blockading critical global grain exports, the shortage of grain in the middle east sparked the “arab spring” in 2010-12. But Russia is willing to exert this type of terrorism to achieve control/, wihtout interest to other nations, but only for the personal self-aggrandizement of a very few wealthy—- ruthless, and EVIL men. This type of powerplay is all that Russia is interested in, at the EXPENSE of human life. At this point i will emphasize the need for Ukraine to recapture and defend its territories from that which were the 1991 drawn borders. Not just because it feels good to me. Not just because of the principle of maintaining international and for punishing the bad behavior of brutal invasions prevail. But because , geopolitically, there is an entire land-bridge from Russia taht goes into Ukraine and leads to Crimea. In order for Ukraine to secure crimea, in order for the US to achieve security in the black sea, then RUssian military must be expelled from the landbridge that funnels Russian artillery and infantry into this region. 

-Alexandra Zakhvatayev