The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative last summer between Ukraine and Russia, which has allowed grain shipments to leave Ukraine’s ports and pass through a “humanitarian” corridor safely.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative freed up Ukrainian agricultural products for export that had been blocked from reaching global markets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The increased exports brought more stability to the global food market, which helped to lower prices. Wheat purchased by the UN’s World Food Programme was able to reach vulnerable people in food insecure areas.
Several days ago, Russia interrupted the implementation of this life-saving arrangement when it suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. However, on November 2nd Russia reversed this decision and resumed its participation in the deal. Food prices on the global market, which had spiked following Russia’s suspension decision, went back down following Russia’s change of heart. But who knows how long Russia’s resumption of its participation will last?
“The Russian Federation considers that the guarantees received at the moment appear sufficient, and resumes the implementation of the agreement,” Russia’s Defense Ministry explained. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia reserved the right to withdraw from the agreement, which is due to expire later this month anyway unless Russia and Ukraine agree to extend it.
Russia tried to justify its original suspension of participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative by accusing Ukraine of launching a “terrorist” drone attack on the Russian fleet at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea on October 29th. However, in its sudden about-face, Russia credited Turkey and an unnamed “international organization” – presumably, the UN – with helping to obtain “the necessary written guarantees from Ukraine on not using the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations against the Russian Federation.”
The Russian regime is somewhat isolated in the international community because of its invasion of Ukraine, but that has not fazed Putin as long as his war did not alienate the countries he wanted to court or to at least remain on the sidelines. Some African countries, for example, did not condemn Russia’s invasion and remained silent as Putin’s war machine inflicted mass civilian casualties and destruction upon the Ukrainian people. These and other countries in the Global South have not yet participated in sanctions against Russia.
However, poor countries have hungry people to feed. They need the lower food prices and World Food Programme shipments that the Black Sea Grain Initiative brought about. But Russia’s precipitous suspension threw the global food market into turmoil and endangered what remaining food security existed in Africa and elsewhere in the Global South.
Thus, in order to prevent any seriously widening backlash, the Russian regime decided to turn lemons into lemonade. It pivoted and turned its decision to resume participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative into a propaganda opportunity. Russia sought to portray itself as a friend of poorer countries by claiming that it was working to ensure that they would receive priority as destinations for future shipments.
Meanwhile, President Putin’s war machine continues its vicious attacks against Ukrainian civilians. On October 31, it launched barrages of missiles against power and water infrastructure facilities in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and across other parts of Ukraine. Putin said that these strikes were in response to the October 29th drone attack on its Black Sea fleet in Crimea. “That’s not all we could have done,” he told reporters, intimating that more attacks could be expected.
“Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians,” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said. “Don’t justify these attacks by calling them a ‘response.’ Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians.”
Russia’s persistent attacks targeting Ukrainian civilian population centers and civilian infrastructure are war crimes. However, to the Russian dictator’s dismay, the Ukrainians have stood up to Putin’s war machine, even as he resorts to killing and maiming more innocent civilians and destroying their energy facilities as the bitter winter sets in.
Using long range and precision guided artillery, rockets and drones that have surpassed some of Russia’s own outdated weapons, Ukraine is turning the tide on the battlefield. It has been able to launch more devastating attacks deep into areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian invaders. Even Russian naval ships in port in Russian-occupied Crimea are not beyond the reach of Ukraine’s weapons.
Before Vladimir Putin launched his aggressive war against Ukraine, he said repeatedly that there was no such thing as an independent Ukrainian nation. The Ukrainian people are really Russian, he boasted. During the course of the protracted war, which Putin thought would be over in a matter of days with the fall of Kyiv that did not happen, the resilient Ukrainians have taught Putin otherwise. Fighting for their freedom, they have been humiliating Russia’s military on the ground. Equipped with sophisticated Western weapons, including sea and air drones, the Ukrainian forces are on the offensive.
Putin’s power, and perhaps his life, hang in the balance if Russian losses on the battlefield reach a critical tipping point. Sheer desperation may lead Putin to behave in a way that threatens the prospect of thousands of freeze-related deaths this winter in Ukraine, renewed use of food as a weapon of war, and perhaps even a nuclear conflagration. But as the world learned from failed efforts to appease Adolf Hitler, appeasement of a tyrant only leads to more aggression.
This not about feeding poor people in backward countries. The World Food Program is trying to control the world supply chains and this gives them the power to decide who gets what. It gives the global elites the power to control everything.
If it was about the poor countries why did the price increase so dramatically and then instantly drop again?
The UN owns the World Food Program and the World Health Organisation and also has a condom supply chain operated out of Copenhagen.
Why?
There are details lacking:
1.Official figures tell us that from 50% to 80% or more of the FOOD sold by UKARINE,which was supposed,most of it,to go to countries where there is REAL danger of FAMINE
was NOT being sent to those countries. Zelensky and the West LIED to the world.
Instead it has gone to EUROPE,not Africa,the Middle East. It is a farce.
And those Third World countries know it. They do not blame Russia,but Zelensky.
2. Now RUSSIAN grain and fertilizer was supposed to be sent to the POOR countries with NO obstacles. Another lie by the West, all of it is still STUCK in European ports, because DE FACTO, obstacles are placed,by the West’s banking system, that make companies scared.
FOOD and FERTILIZER that was supposed to go to POOR countries. Those poor countries know it.
3. A peace treaty had been signed,the DRONES attacks against Russian ships were a VIOLATION of the treaty. Those ships were being used to GUARANTEE saftey of civilian ships,and made possible the 450 CIVILIAN SHIPS that have left Odessa with grain.
About attacking Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure as being a WAR CRIME. The few civilians killed were not intentionally killed by the drones and missiles,it was MACHINES that were targeted.
No war crime there.
And infrastructure that is used for military purposes is a LEGITIMATE war target.In Ukraine 90% of TRAINS use electricity.Those trains have been used all the time to TRANSPORT WEAPONS and SOLDIERS.
Then using the same argument the US is guilty of WAR CRIMES in IRAK in both Irak wars. The electricity infrastructure was DESTROYED.
Nothing to add here, except at how delighted I am with the comments section.
Poor poor globalists. The days when you could just hire some liar and have the trust of the populace are, happily, done.
Your show is over..
PART 1
About PUTIN, I don’t think he is a dictator. In 1996 YELTSIN was reelected but it was by FRAUD.
In 1999 Putin was elected,by 52%.
The last time,if I remember rightly,it was by 54%.
Dictators get elected by 99%.
PUTIN and the SILOVIKI ( 780 members)
1. Putin was an OBSCURE employee who was chosen by Yeltsin,first to be CHIEF of the Russian secret service in 1997, then as candidate for president in 1999. WHY?
First, he was known to NEVER ask for, nor ever take BRIBES from people.
Second,the MAYOR of ST PETERSBURG was taken out of office, he was being persecuted.Putin had been his employee. Putin arranged it for him to SECRETLY escape to the West. NOBODY then helped anybody in the Russian government.
There was NO advantage for Putin, the mayor was POWERLESS to give him money or power.It was a sense of loyalty by Putin,to him him.
2. Yeltsin saw Putin was the only honest man in governement. In 1999: 7 MEN (oligarchs)
controled 50% of the Russian economy. They were BILLIONAIRES and had got to power (no one disputes this) by FRAUD, and KILLING RIVALS. The MAFIA ruled Russia.
And 80% of the BANKS in Russia were controled by gangs and the mafia.
Yeltsin knew once out of power they would jail,kill HIM and not only him,but his FAMILY.
So he asked Putin to grant PROTECTION and AMNESTY to him and his family if he became president. Putin kept his promise.
PART 2
The KEY to understanding Putin’s actions is his 1997 dissertation to get a Phd in economics.
That was YEARS before becoming president.
1. He said a nation’s CURRENCY value had to be based on COMMODITIES,basic,basic things people NEED: oil, gas, wheat ,food, fertilizer, minerals. Without them society collapses.
Plus GOLD,the more a nation has it,the better. Its value nevers plummets like OIL for example.
2. To protect a nation from ECONOMIC sanctions and secondary economic sanctions by CORRUPT nationals and by WALL STREET ( foreigners) NATURAL resources (like gas, and oil) had to be owned by the STATE. Not by private oligarchs and their Wall Street ( today Globalist-New World Order) friends.
And most of the BANKS had to be owned by the STATE.
Otherwise Big Tech (Globalists) would control a foreign nation,hold it hostage.You (Russian government) do as WE say or we will DESTROY the Russian economy.
3. Putin all these years has dedicated himself to destroying the power of the oligarchs (mafia), and he has succeeded: the GAS and OIL industry is now state-owned, and the biggest BANK also.
PART 3
4. He recruited HUNDREDS of experts from the military and intelligence agency who AGREED with his economic ideas. The were placed in the HIGHEST positions in the Kremlin,parliament, critical business sectors. They are the SILOVIKI. By 2006
they made up almost 80% of the people in the highest sectors of society. That is Putin’s so-called “kleptocracy”. But he placed people considered competent and with the same ideology,
5. Consistent with than Putin has helped and promoted BRICS,an economic bloc that is ANTI-Globalist.
.He has created YANDEX, its internet search engine,
to prevent GOOGLE ( Globalist-New World Order) from blackmailing Russia.
He created MIR, to replace SWIFT, to prevent it,the system owned by the Globalists,from blackmailing Russia.
PART 4
In 2017 came the accusation Putin had STOLEN 200 BILLION dollars.It was in a private account.
In 2022 ELON MUSK said he thought Putin was the RICHEST man in the world,with MORE than his amount,more than 300 BILLION dollars in a private account.
Then how to explain:
1.That the Russian DEBT has been almost all PAID if Putin stole more than 300 billion dollars.
2. In 2022 , the West FROZE all of Russia’s money outside Russia. How was Russia able to have 300 billion dollars,state-owned, if Putin had stolen 300 billion.
3. We know all these years Russia has bought ENORMOUS amounts of GOLD , from where did the state get the money if more than 300 billion dollars were stolen?
4. Plus, if Putin has stolen more than 300 billion,why is it that the Russian economy has NOT collapsed? Specially with
11 THOUSAND economic sanctions against Russia this 2022.