Posted on 06/13/2022 12:08:16 PM PDT by blam
Well this is awkward…
The Biden administration has been quietly urging agricultural and shipping companies to buy and carry more Russian fertilizer, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the efforts.
The move comes as fears over sanctions have led to a sharp drop in supplies, contributing to the ongoing ‘spiraling global food costs.’
The effort is part of complex and difficult negotiations underway involving the United Nations to boost deliveries of fertilizer, grain and other farm products from Russia and Ukraine that have been disrupted by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his southern neighbor.
US and European officials have accused the Kremlin of using food as a weapon, preventing Ukraine from exporting. Russia denies that even as it has attacked key ports, blaming the shipment disruptions on sanctions imposed by the US and its allies over the invasion. -Bloomberg
With Moscow being a key supplier of fertilizer, the US and EU have included exemptions on sanctions against doing business with Russia – however many shippers, banks and insurers have been cautiously staying away out of fear that they might accidentally run afoul of the rules in an expensive lesson. Now, US officials are trying to encourage activity in the space.
Exports of Russian fertilizer are notably down 24% YTD.
As Bloomberg notes, the new push by Washington underscores the current challenge facing the west – which seeks to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine, while also easing pressure on economy-damaging food inflation during an election year in America. Since the war began in February, already-high inflation spiked further – a point Putin regularly makes while railing against sanctions.
Earlier this month, the Biden admin sent a representative to UN-led talks with Moscow regarding supply issues – as insufficient deliveries of fertilizer could also negatively affect next year’s crops.
The Kremlin has insisted that the US provide assurances to global buyers that they won’t face sanctions, suggesting it as a condition to unblock any shipments of Ukrainian farm products now.
“For Russia, it’s really important that U.S. authorities send a clear signal that these deals are permitted and in the interest of global food security and they shouldn’t refuse to carry them out,” said Ivan Timofeev, a sanctions specialist at the Kremlin-founded Russian International Affairs Council.
Russian grain exports are down only 14%, while wheat exports doubled in May, according to the Russian grain union, while more than 25 million tons of Ukrainian grains, sunflower oil and other commodities are stuck in Ukraine due to security fears over Black Sea ports and shipping lanes. With the new harvest beginning, officials caution that the situation will become more dire.
Talks on releasing those shipments have gone slowly, with Putin seeking to pin the blame on Ukraine for not wanting to remove mines from ports placed to defend them from possible attacks by Russian forces. Kyiv has said it’s not convinced by Moscow’s assurances that it won’t strike, noting that Russia also insisted before the war that it wouldn’t invade.
De-Mining Ukraine’s Ports May Take Months, UN Agency Says Russia won the support of Turkey in its calls for sanctions relief last week, but Ankara’s efforts to mediate a solution to restart shipments so far haven’t yielded results. -Bloomberg
According to James O’Brien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the State Department, “We’re working together with our partners to get about half of what Ukraine exports out each month,” adding “So we’re looking at a substantial shortfall.”
Finally, we can’t help but see the irony that Washington is urging farmers to buy Russian fertilizer (implicitly in part funding Putin’s war against Ukraine), while at the same time providing arms and funding to Ukraine (in Ukraine’s war against Russia). A real MIC reacharound.
Biden Admin Quietly Urging Companies To Purchase Russian Fertilizer
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it’s hard to believe there is not enough fertilizer available in D.C.
There’s enough fertilizer in DC that we can export it and eliminate the trade deficit.
There is but the hot air there burns it up.
So we’re send weapons to the Ukes with tax dollars and urging companies to buy from the Russians ??
Lift the sanctions on the condition that negotiations with Russia to end the war begin immediately.
They’ll be paying in Rubles of course. Or not getting it.
Belligerent US foreign policy is destroying itself for a change.
Everything Joe does gets him just what he wanted, good and hard too. At some point our enemies will point out that Joe does more damage to America in one day than their entire weapons budgets combined. Joe is the equivalent of 100 slow release nuclear bombs set off in Joe's own America.
And the Beltway swamp rats had the nerve to intervene in a Trump presidency, yet cover for this treasonous hack?
That’s because his green policy has made NG in the US too expensive and because he’s forced the Railroads to stop shipping it.
So of course he wants to make his friends in Orcland richer while making America poorer. Just as he does with oil - not ours but any one else’s is just peachy.
This, even-though Pootie has caused gas prices to rise and inflation to zoom over the horizon, food cost more, let’s give nice Pootie still more money while he’s making fortune sell ‘embargoed’ oil and conducting a genocidal war.
We can make our own nitrogen-based fertilizer if we were producing natural gas. Biden has stopped production. Someone should tell this jerk that America is self sufficient except for Taiwan microchips.
There. Fixed it.
Gee just in time for....harvest?
Would have been nice if it had been available during the primary weeks of planting season...
Lift the sanctions on the condition that negotiations with Russia to end the war begin immediately.
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Exactly, vegetable head Biden’s sanctions backfired- hugely. Vlad says Checkmate again.
Unfortunately, the sanctions will never be rolled back- Nobama’s sanctions never were. This administration ( and the Neocans ) will never remove sanctions, much to our demise. They think they are hurting Russia, but Russia has so, so many things the west needs.
What you are witnessing is historic, the brain dead sanctions have United ALL countries that resent the US, the China/ Russia/ India/ Turkey and new Brics alliance insures our demise…..more than half the worlds population would like to see the arrogant US knocked down a few notches.
…and Vlad has the west by the short hairs, again.
End all of the economically suicidal sanctions now and go the exact opposite direction by ensuring the free flow of fuel, fertilizer, and food.
Supplies will increase.
Prices will decrease.
Why does America need Taiwan microchips?
We should invest so that we do not, if that is the case. If the EPA is in the way, we should get rid of it for reasons of national security.
Does he call them up and whisper in a creepy voice like at the podium?
Belligerent US foreign policy is destroying itself for a change.
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Weaponizing the dollar was the last straw for many nations, much resentment by all non western nations. They now wonder ( like India) if they will be sanctioned, ( funds frozen- stolen) if they go against US hegemony. Even Japan, one of our biggest Allies, has quietly started selling off US Securities, 300 billion the last reported whack.
The die has been cast by a senile, inept old man…..and most have no idea what has occurred.
Biden Admin Quietly Urging AMERICANS To Buy Their BullShiite....................
It is mid-June now. Hasn’t most of the planting been done in the U.S. and the E.U.?
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe most fertilizer is applied before crops are planted.
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