Letter to the Editor / PREVENT DELIBERATE GLOBAL STARVATION – and end the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

By Roger C. Kostmayer

Putin and Russia just announced their reneging of their agreement with the UN that allowed Ukraine to export grain, 64% of which goes to Somalia and other developing nations.  No longer will Ukraine be allowed by Russian military to ship desperately needed grain and food supplies to poor nations that depend on them to avoid mass starvation.  This means the Russian navy, in Ukrainian and international waters, now threatens to criminally stop, confiscate, steal, destroy and/or sink desperately needed legal food cargo carried by non-military ships.

This is not legal, humane nor acceptable to the civilized world.  Innocent and uninvolved nations and their  starving citizens deserve protection from a single totalitarian murderer.  What will it take to save these desperate and vulnerable countries, and did Putin make another big mistake?

Russia has taken another giant step toward being a global pariah and, it could be his downfall.  No country, big or small, can condone this inhumanity. But what will it take to avoid this human tragedy?  Of course, diplomats and the UN will debate and condemn Putin – which will change very little.  But, more importantly, the US and NATO navies, that train together, form the most powerful and effective nautical force on this planet.  With almost unanimous humanitarian support from the world community, if this multinational armada decided to declare a specific “no fly zone” and use war ships to escort and defensively protect the grain ships in Ukrainian and international waters, Russia would risk losing its mediocre navy if it attempted to interfere, and that additional Russian defeat could bring an end to Putin’s invasion war.  Equally important, many people would avoid dying of starvation.

Yes, people will point out, there is some risk, but there’s compelling evidence that though Putin is dangerous- he is not stupid.  For him to try and do something dangerous against the US and 30 nation NATO, with little enthusiastic backing from his own divided people, is unlikely.  Putin has put himself unanimously on the wrong side of history, and he will be forced to try and back out to survive.  Neither China nor India can support Putin under these conditions.

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