Reflagging Ships Could Be the Answer to Russia's Blockade of Black Sea Ports

Jun 2, 2022
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Also published in The Hill
A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf - source: Reuters
About the Authors
Anna Borshchevskaya
Anna Borshchevskaya

Anna Borshchevskaya is the Harold Grinspoon Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Russia's policy toward the Middle East.

Garrett I. Campbell

Capt. Garrett I. Campbell (Ret.) directed the U.S Navy’s Staff OPNAV N5 Russia Strategy, Policy, and Engagement Branch, and served as a federal executive fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Articles & Testimony

Such an option could limit the risk of escalation, pressure Russia, and help avert a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his war on Ukraine. Russia is now blockading Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, which prevents upwards of 25 million tons of grain and other agricultural goods from delivery to international markets. Left unchecked, this will likely create a food crisis due to severe shortages in parts of the Middle East and Africa, which may result in civil conflicts and large-scale migration into Europe. The Russian blockade requires an international response, supported by the U.S. and NATO, that minimizes escalation risk. Reflagging of international merchant vessels could be the answer…

Read the full article on the Hill website.

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