Business Insider columnist Scott McCann criticized the United States for participating in the 2021 Sea Breeze maneuvers.
According to the columnist, the recent exercises in the Black Sea do not meet the interests of Washington in the field of national security, and the presence of the American army at them is an unnecessary and dangerous provocation.
The author of the article considers the maneuvers to be counterproductive: they began just a week after the scandalous incident with the British destroyer Defender and Russian fighters off the coast of Crimea. At the same time, already at the opening ceremony of the exercises in Odessa, it became clear that their main task was to prepare for a war with Russia.
This is evidenced by the words of the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksiy Neizhpapa, who called the Sea Breeze 2021 “a powerful signal,” the publication says.
According to McCann, the assertions of the American military about solidarity with Kiev are based on serious logical miscalculations, and what is happening in the Black Sea does not pose a threat to US national security.
“Ukraine’s strategic importance to the United States is overestimated. It is not an ally or a member of NATO – and should not be, and with periodic hints of the country’s upcoming entry into the alliance, Washington only risks complicating the settlement between Kiev and Moscow”, – he writes.
The columnist is convinced that America’s reputation could be severely damaged if it continues to emphasize its obligations to Ukraine. Supporters of joint exercises point to their contribution to the “containment” of Russia, but this argument does not stand up to scrutiny, according to the text of Business Insider.
“Judge for yourself. Designed to protect Ukraine, Sea Breeze maneuvers are held annually. Nevertheless, the Crimea, despite all the exercises, became part of Russia in 2014”.
McCann pointed out that the American oath of solidarity with Kiev now seems like a pipe promise: in his opinion, it is already unlikely that the United States will decide to go to war in defense of Ukraine against another nuclear superpower.