[CaptainOfCoit]

> Foreign powers will still have the ability to shut down or manipulate traffic, which is hardly sovereignty at all.

Apparently, some partners/"friends" are more likely to take military action against you than others.

If you're considering sovereignty and you have a choice between one partner who've said "I'll protect you" and another that said "Well, we'll never rule out military action against you", working together with one of those are obviously better for your sovereignty than the other.