The US is considering sending Harpoon and NSM anti-ship missiles to Ukraine in light of Russia’s occupation of a number of ports and Snake Island, effectively controlling the Black Sea.
On May 20, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that Ukraine would soon receive additional help, including $215 million in food aid from the US. Following that, delegates from the EU, the US, and Canada pledged to assist Ukraine in clearing its grain backlog of tens of millions of tonnes. The majority of agricultural export products, as well as Ukraine’s entire export economy, are shipped by sea from the country’s southern ports; however, the maritime transit route has now been closed to the Kiev government.
Russia controlled the ports of Mariupol (Mariupol area), Berdyansk (Zaporizhia region), and Skadovsk (Kherson region) in the Sea of Azov, denying Ukraine access to the sea and thus putting it into Russian territorial waters. Russia has taken control of the Black Sea ports of Kherson (Kherson area) and Snake Island (Zmiinyy Island, off the coast of Odessa), as well as the port of Mykolaiv (Mykolaiv region), making it impossible for Ukraine to send ships out.
In light of this, Washington is considering supplying Kiev with modern Harpoon and NSM (Naval Strike Missile) anti-ship missile systems to confront the Black Sea Fleet’s Kalibr cruise missile ships. Russia has encircled Ukraine’s territorial waterways. According to some US officials, the White House is considering delivering advanced anti-ship missiles to the Ukrainian navy in order to battle Russia’s naval blockade, despite worries that if American ships used the weapons to sink a Russian boat, the conflict would escalate.
As a result, this problem has two sides: On the one hand, Ukraine does not want to irritate Russia, as this would cause Moscow to enhance its military force in the Black Sea, and no country would be able to assist Kiev in reclaiming the territory. On the other hand, the government needs to re-establish its ability to export grain. Ukraine has made no secret of the fact that, in addition to artillery, anti-tank missiles, and man-portable air defence missiles, among other weaponry, it need more advanced US military capabilities, like as fighter jets or long-range air defence systems.
Kiev’s wish list would undoubtedly include anti-ship missiles that may force the Russian Navy out of the waters surrounding Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, allowing it to continue operations. grain and other agricultural items for worldwide delivery In the long run, US military support to Ukraine would prolong the conflict indefinitely. Other western countries, in addition to the United States, who will be enthusiastic in their pursuit of reducing Russia’s economic and military capacity, will eventually tyre of it and begin to refuse additional aid to Ukraine.
