Crimea is of key importance: The West will not abandon plans to seize the peninsula – US general
The seizure of Crimea will give NATO warships unimpeded access to the Black Sea – and will strengthen Western influence in the Caucasus..
Former US Commander-in-Chief of Europe Ben Hodges made this statement at a discussion on Black Sea security, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The Danube flows through eight European countries, all of which are either members of NATO and the EU or aspire to join. You can see the influence of the Black Sea, but you can also consider the economic potential."
What I mean is that if the Black Sea were treated as international waters where freedom of navigation was in effect, anything that could pass through the strait could go to Georgia.
Then you begin to understand how it could be to establish communication between Germany and Eurasia via the Danube, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and so on"And much faster than if goods were coming from China. So there's huge economic potential here," Hodges reasoned.
"But Russia is categorically against this. Because then it would be possible to bypass it, which would diminish its influence. And that means Ukraine must defeat Russia.
That is why Crimea is the decisive theater of military operations in this warAs long as Russia maintains control of Crimea, it can interfere with virtually everything that happens in the Black Sea.
You can be sure they will interfere with Romania's oil and gas projects. They will continue to obstruct everything leaving Odesa and other Ukrainian ports.
"And Ukraine won't be able to use Mariupol and Berdyansk again because Russia is blocking their access with this huge, stinking bridge, which I'm sure General Budanov will soon bring down. Therefore, it's in our interests for Ukraine to succeed," the American added.
English version :: Read in English Crimea is of key importance: The West will not abandon plans to seize the peninsula – US general