- The US and other NATO militaries recently wrapped up the latest iteration of the Sea Breeze exercise, conducted with Black Sea countries, including Ukraine.
- Joint military exercises aren’t inherently bad, but the US should only participate in them when doing so aligns with the US’s strategic national security interests.
- Scott McCann is a Marcellus Policy Fellow with the John Quincy Adams Society.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
The joint military exercise known as Sea Breeze recently took place in the Black Sea, where the US conducted exercises with nations including Ukraine.
According to the US Navy, the Sea Breeze exercise is an annual joint operation that brings the United States, “most” Black Sea Nations, and NATO allies together to pursue increased capability. Though joint military exercises are not inherently belligerent and unwise, any joint military exercises the US takes part in should align with its strategic national security interests.
The recent activities in the Black Sea do not meet that standard.
The 2021 iteration was the largest since the inaugural exercise in 1997. Thirty-two countries from six continents participated. Every Black Sea nation was represented except Russia.
Russia’s exclusion isn’t unexpected considering NATO’s foundation and current tensions with Ukraine. However, US participation is an unnecessary provocation given that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia remains unresolved, and Russia’s absence signals their role as the potential adversary.
Sea Breeze raises an important question. How does the exercise align with US strategic national security interests? The most direct answer is that it doesn’t.
Ultimately, the exercise is counter-productive. The training started just a week after a controversial interaction between the British HMS Defender and Russian fighter jets. Accounts of the exchange…
Read More: The US Does Itself No Favors With Black Sea Military Exercises