Much of the current focus on the Ukraine war is currently on the shelling of the major urban centers of Kharkiv and Kyiv. And from a political and humanitarian perspective, that certainly makes sense.
But there is a broader strategic and economic perspective that I feel as though some are missing when it comes to the Russian campaign along Ukraine’s southern coast, currently focused on the week-long bombardment of the southeastern port city of Mariupol. If (sadly, I think this is now more of a case of “when“) the port of Mariupol falls, there will be little to stop Russia from sending troops west from Russia proper, through the Ukraine separatist regions, to the Crimean peninsula, and onward to Ukraine’s primary commercial port of Odessa.
Given the considerable effort Russia will have expended to reach Odessa, there’s little reason to expect them to stop there…
At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, we asked our readers who were so inclined and able to consider donating toward a cause we thought was important: Feeding America.
While we still believe strongly in their mission, with recent events in Ukraine we are asking our subscribers to consider supporting a charity focused on relief efforts there. There are many good ones to choose from, but one in particular we are supporting is the Afya Foundation.
They collect money and health supplies for underserved communities in the world, and have begun delivering non-combat support to refugees and population centers in Ukraine. We hope that those who can, join us.
