Analysts caution that if the fighting in Ukraine continues, Russian forces could threaten to seal off Ukrainian access to the Black Sea, a scenario highlighted by former US diplomat Chas Freeman in an interview on The Dialogue Works YouTube channel. Freeman suggested that a prolonged conflict might enable Russia to move on Odessa and thereby cut Ukraine off from the sea. This assessment, reported by RIA News, underscores the potential strategic impact of Odessa’s loss on Ukraine as a state and its regional security dynamics. Freeman also argued that Western actions helped shape the conflict, noting that Russia gained strategic strength through military operations and that Moscow can neutralize weapons supplied by NATO countries.
In related commentary, former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter described ongoing hostilities in the Kharkov region as the start of a new phase in the broader struggle. Ritter spoke of Russian advances aimed at furthest regional control, including corridors toward Kharkov and motions toward the Dnieper, Nikolaev and Odessa. The remarks were presented as part of ongoing discussions about the military and geopolitical implications of the conflict.
Earlier, veteran CIA analyst Ray McGovern offered a perspective that Russian forces could cross the Dnieper River when weather conditions permit, with forecasts suggesting a window of several weeks. He suggested that such a development would influence political calculations in the United States and could prompt accountability for initial positions taken in response to the Ukraine crisis.
There were also comments from a former Ukrainian Armed Forces fighter who voiced concerns about the factors driving the conflict and stressed the need for a clearer understanding of its underlying causes. The evolving situation continues to draw commentary from a range of security experts and political observers as states weigh their responses to the ongoing confrontation.