06/11/2026
Lieutenant General David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.), a member of the UFF Advisory Board, principal planner of the Desert Storm air campaign and Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, published a strategic proposal in Forbes that cuts through the current debate over Ukraine's future.
He proposes a Baltic Sea pressure campaign: a coalition-led effort targeting the shadow-fleet tankers, sanctioned entities, and financial networks that keep russia's war economy running. Around 44–48% of russia's crude oil exports move through Baltic ports — roughly 9–10% of its national budget. That's the leverage point.
The campaign doesn't require a blockade. It requires discipline, allied coordination, and political will.
Admiral Ihor Voronchenko, Ukrainian Navy (Ret.), read the proposal and responded directly. He called it one of the keys to a winning position for Ukraine, the U.S., and the alliance — and pointed to something important: Ukraine has already been doing its part, striking energy infrastructure and forcing russia to defend assets it once considered untouchable. A Baltic enforcement campaign would translate that same logic into a multilateral instrument. His bottom line: "This is one of the guaranteed and safe paths to peace. Take it and act."
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Read the full analysis: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davedeptula/2026/05/31/a-baltic-pressure-campaign-for-president-trump-to-end-russias-war/