Exclusive satellite images from US company Maxar Technologies show Russian forces stealing grain from ports in Ukraine. CNN’s @MarquardtA reports.
https://t.co/yzmHrhFSCt
— CNN (@CNN) May 23, 2022
Posted on 05/26/2022 9:31:08 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
One of the side effects of war is economic dislocation. No matter what Vladimir Putin chooses to call his war in Ukraine, it is a war, and it is dislocating markets worldwide. Most of the attention has been on the potential disruption of Russian oil and gas supplies to Europe, but a more significant problem than cold Euros is looming. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading exporters of wheat and sunflower oil. Because of Putin’s War, Ukrainian products can’t pass through the Black Sea to get to market.
Fears of a global food crisis are swelling as Russian attacks on Ukraine’s ability to produce and export grain have choked off one of the world’s breadbaskets, fueling charges that President Vladimir V. Putin is using food as a powerful new weapon in his three-month-old war.
World leaders called on Tuesday for international action to deliver 20 million tons of grain now trapped in Ukraine, predicting that the alternative could be hunger in some countries and political unrest in others, in what could be the gravest global repercussion yet of Russia’s assault on its neighbor. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where worries about the war’s consequences have eclipsed almost every other issue, speakers reached for apocalyptic language to describe the threat.
To make matters worse, Russia has closed areas of the Black Sea to all traffic from all nations, no matter what the ships are carrying.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the grim assessment last week in remarks at the United Nations, calling Russia’s blockade “a deliberate effort” to destabilize the world’s food supply.
Since Russia issued a warning to mariners in February that significant areas of the Black Sea were closed to commercial traffic, “the Russian military has repeatedly blocked safe passage to and from Ukraine by closing the Kerch Strait, tightening its control over the Sea of Azov, stationing warships off Ukrainian ports. And Russia has struck Ukrainian ports multiple times,” Blinken said.
“The food supply for millions of Ukrainians — and millions more around the world — has quite literally been held hostage by the Russian military,” he said.
There are a couple of different parts to this story. Russia is looting grain from occupied areas of Ukraine and selling it on the world market. They also destroy infrastructure like silos and grain elevators and take Ukrainian farm machinery to Russia.
Exclusive satellite images from US company Maxar Technologies show Russian forces stealing grain from ports in Ukraine. CNN’s @MarquardtA reports.
https://t.co/yzmHrhFSCt— CNN (@CNN) May 23, 2022
Russians launched missile strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, hitting grain warehouses of agribusinesses.
pic.twitter.com/j3ddZ0w2PE— Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) May 1, 2022
russia tried to sell grain stolen from #Ukraine to Egypt. #Egypt refused to buy the stolen grain, so the ship changed direction to #Lebanon and #Syria.
In total, 27,000 tons of #Ukrainian grain are on board the Matros Pozynych, which is currently trying to sell the stolen goods pic.twitter.com/B11FXfTqSA— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) May 4, 2022
Never one to let a perfectly good crisis go to waste, Putin is pushing the west to end sanctions on Russia in return for it ending its blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Russia is pressing for the West to lift sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine, claiming they are preventing millions of tons of grain and other products from leaving Ukrainian ports. Western officials dismiss claims that sanctions are responsible. https://t.co/cGtBrv7MFm
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2022
Pure blackmail! Putin causes a food crisis by blocking Ukrainian ports. Then offers to avert the crisis if sanctions are lifted. https://t.co/crnzpFWuKd
— Bill Browder (@Billbrowder) May 26, 2022
The very premise of Putin’s proposal is ludicrous and dishonest. Because of those features, France, Germany, and Italy may go along. In removing the blockade, Russia doesn’t give any assurances about putting ships in Odessa or the grain elevators and rail systems that supply them off-limits. My view is that a) it is very unlikely that Putin gives a rat’s ass about hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of non-Russians starving to death; in fact, he probably sees this as a feature rather than a bug, and b) equally unlikely that Putin will allow Ukraine to earn money from exports. By removing the blockade and going after the infrastructure in Odessa, he removes sanctions, sustains a famine that he probably wants to create, and prevents Ukraine from earning cash off exported wheat and seed oils.
Will this gambit work? Can you cut a deal to rid yourself of sanctions imposed because you started a war of aggression if you promise not to starve a few million people to death? Even when there is no guarantee those people still won’t starve if sanctions are removed? Never lose sight of the fact that Putin is a strategic genius in the same way that “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” He’s dealing with self-serving idiots incapable of resolve, so don’t count out the EU shouting “Leeeeeroy Jenkins,” and coming to Putin’s rescue.
Nuke Moscow
Didn’t realize that Red State is now a mouthpiece for the Neocons. Bummer, they used to be an independent website.
“Nuke Moscow”
My sister said the same thing when they engineered Trump’s victory in 2016.
RE: Didn’t realize that Red State is now a mouthpiece for the Neocons
What is it in the article that is untrue?
General Keene suggested putting together an international fleet to go into the Black Sea and guard the shipping lanes for Odessa.
It would be more than just NATO and the US. We would have to clear some mines but have that capability.
This is why Russia announced that Mariupol was now open. So Russia could sell their ill gotten gains.
Russia isn’t going to have a choice. Not unless they want their next naval parade to take place at the bottom of the black sea.
No.
There are millions of good people in Russia and they should not die for Putin’s sins.
This is not a video game.
This is the real world.
All of the sanctions need to be ended, allowing for the free flow of fuel, fertilizer, and food, resulting in increased supplies and decreased prices.
“All of the sanctions need to be ended, allowing for the free flow of fuel, fertilizer, and food, resulting in increased supplies and decreased prices.”
Considering that Russia is now making $1B per day just on fuel exports, thanks to the sanctions, I suspect Putin likes things just as they are.
Ukrainians mining the areas around the ports has really hurt the flow of food to the world:
Desperate Ukraine Navy Lay Mines in Black Sea ‘Which May Drift to Bosphorus, Mediterranean’ 3/19/22
Mines from Ukraine drift into the Black Sea, Russia and shipping sources say, 3/21/22
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/mines-from-ukraine-drift-into-the-black-sea-7830216/
Times of India: “Moscow says Mariupol port reopened after demining” 5/25/22
You belong on DU
“You belong on DU”
Why, is this site only for Neocons and their supporters now?
Well Russia does have experience in creating artificial famines.....
All of the mines need to be cleared out.
Maybe someone should tell the Klown that Erdogan will be the judge of who runs the gauntlet of the Bosporous, and who doesn't.
Not some TeeVee blowhards from the West.
We used to call that "lying by omission".
But, what do you expect from some clown who had to have his nose rubbed in the greatness of President Trump before he renounced his NeverTrump stance?
Gotcha, another Mark Levin type! Making sense now - they’re Neocons until they see the wind shift under them, and then they run to join our side. Who knows, given the way the Special Military Operation is progressing in Donbas, the people here may be joining us soon too!
And to whom is the United States selling the oil, and wheat they have been stealing from Syria for years?
Turkey imports 74% of it’s grain from Ukraine and Russia.
With sanctions on Russia, Turkey needs the Ukrainian wheat.
So odds are high Turkey will let such an international fleet in to the Black Sea. Turkey has been keeping additional Russian ships out.
Nevertrump org
I fart in their general direction
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