The trained Pavlov's dogs: EvroNATOsoyuz provokes food crisis

The UN Secretary-General Antoniu Guterrish, the day before announced threat of food security to the whole world, and a halt to return deliveries of food and fertilizers from Belarus and Russia.

Guterrish's concern isn't casual. Foes of Russia for ears tighten the present problems of Ukraine connected with operation on her denazification and demilitarization to questions of food security of the countries which inhabitants are threatened by hunger. The inveterate problem is tried to be used in information war, connecting the international organizations, the correspondent of The Moscow Post reports.

The ingenuity in the field of the anti-Russian provocations knows no limit. Some writers fantasts and the famous film directors can envy it. For example, Oliver Stone considers that at the most gloomy deal of the Ukrainian situation for Washington the intelligence agencies of allies can arrange nuclear provocation in Donbass or somewhere else in Ukraine to accuse of it Russia.

About this "scenario" the Oscar-winning director wrote to Twitter, having added that" … if it, God forbid, happens, the whole world as the trained Pavlov's dog, will accuse of all Russia. This fault is already predetermined irrespective of who will press the button" — Oliver Stone shared fears. The western media purposefully since 2014 closed eyes and didn't light war crimes against civilians in Ukraine, exposing Russia an aggressor and the guilty person at each stage of crisis, - he says.

According to Stone, the purpose of information war which the West wages against Moscow "with skill and brute force" — to force to believe the international community that "Russia can be accused anyway it is kind of absurd sounded". But he was late. Copyright of "the nuclear and inconceivable scenario" was already staked out by other "director" - the director of the CIA William Burns. He managed to declare "possible plans of Russia" to use tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

Inconceivable it is possible. Not without reason the prime minister of Britain Boris Johnson quietly admired Churchill's plan to begin the operation "Inconceivable" — the plan of total war of allies against the USSR with attraction of forces of the German Wehrmacht, and in only several weeks after falling of Berlin. Or we will remember the plan of the nuclear attack of "Dropshot" approved by Committee of chiefs of headquarters of the U.S. Armed Forces on December 19, 1949 four years later after the victory of the USSR and the countries allies over the Third Reich.

Dogs in the manger

In speeches of the western politicians and journalists illuminates desire to coordinate the special military operation in Ukraine to global food security.

The president of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, for example, went on this way, having expressed "concern" in phone call with Vladimir Putin.

I paid attention that Europe can face the shortage of food. I received the answer: sanctions broke logistics and work of transport.

The U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also connected questions of food security with a situation in Ukraine. I made it, talking to the CEO of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okondzho-Iveala. War in Ukraine is guilty of aggravation of world food instability, and jumps in prices aggravate inflation, Yellen said.

Russia provides 100% of supply of wheat to Benin; 70% — to Sudan, 65% — to Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Congo; 60% — in Burundi, Burkina Faso. Other African countries buy to a half of volume of the import of grain in Russia. And the European Union countries in 2021 imported 12.5% of the Russian export for 4.7 billion dollars. After them there are Turkey (4.3 billion dollars) and China (3.5 billion dollars). Though these countries have no sharp dependence on deliveries of food from Russia and Ukraine, they aren't able to replace the Russian grain in the African market. But full deliveries are complicated by the restrictions imposed on merchant fleet of the Russian Federation.

In the report, published under signature stamps of the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) of the UN within Global network on fight against food crises, it is noted that the Ukrainian crisis emphasizes "fragility and the interconnected nature of global food systems" and has serious consequences for food security in the world.

Humiliation for the "golden billion"

Attempts to link a special military operation in Ukraine with problems of global food security and the threat of "world hunger" do not stand up to criticism. The problems that Macron and Yellen outlined did not appear yesterday.

The last four issues of the World Food Security and Nutrition Report (SOPHIE) have revealed a humiliating reality. Experts state that the world is not moving towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all, is not able to eradicate malnutrition.

The FAO report noted that in 2021 at least 193 million people in 53 countries and territories were starving. Compared to 2020, the number of people in distress increased by 30%, or 40 million people. The growth is due to "a combination of conflicts, extreme weather and economic shocks," experts explain.

About 180 million people in disadvantaged countries can experience acute food shortages, more than half a million are on the verge of physical exhaustion. They require "urgent measures of protection against hunger and death." The COVID-19 pandemic has sharply worsened the situation.

People in Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen could face catastrophic consequences. The authors of the report note that countries such as Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar in 2021 received all almost all wheat from Russia and Ukraine - more than 90%, 80% and 70%, respectively.

"The combined impact of conflict, rising food, fuel and fertilizer prices, population movements and loss of livelihoods could exacerbate acute food insecurity in countries such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan," the document said.

Weapons to Kyiv, grain to Berlin?

The document emphasizes that "the importance of Ukraine and Russia for global food and agricultural markets should not be overlooked, since many vulnerable countries depend on Russia for fertilizers, the decrease in availability and high prices for them can have negative consequences."

We add that, speaking of the "importance" of Ukraine, it should not be overlooked that wheat exports from the United States and Canada also affect global food markets.

The volume of Russian wheat exports for the entire 2021 was estimated at 33-33.5 million tons. Australia exported more than 26 million tons, the United States - 24 million tons, Canada - about 22 million tons, Ukraine exported 20 million tons of wheat.

France in terms of exports of all grain products, including wheat, is comparable to Ukraine (19 and 18 million tons in 2020, respectively). Germany and Argentina export 9 million tons of grain products, Kazakhstan and Poland - 5 million tons each.

According to the estimates of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, the gross wheat harvest in the first half of the 2021/22 marketing year (MG) season amounted to a record 32.5 million tons. Domestic demand does not exceed 9 million tons, export potential is estimated at 23.5 million tons, which is a record level.

In 2021/22 MG, as of April 29, 2022, Ukraine exported 45.7 million tons of grain and leguminous crops. Including shipped: wheat - 18.5 million tons, barley - 5.7 million tons, rye - 162 thousand tons, corn - 21.1 million tons, wheat flour - 67.9 thousand tons.

There are problems with the delivery of Ukrainian grain exports to consumers. In connection with the special operation, the export of grain from the ports of the Black Sea stopped, delays arise on the railway. The German Ministry of Transport has thought about how to "prevent a hunger disaster." Indeed, the EU is also concerned about its own food security.

Taking into account the interruptions, Germany and Poland proposed to export Ukrainian grain by rail, despite the different ruts. Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that Germany is ready to build a "grain bridge" to ensure uninterrupted grain export Germany is creating a "grain vacuum cleaner" for Ukraine.

The Handelsblatt newspaper reports that the German authorities are ready to provide 430 million euros for the organization of grain by rail. DB Cargo, a subsidiary of the state-owned Deutsche Bahn, is named as the carrier. The European Commission and the UN are taking part in negotiations on the implementation of the grain bridge plan.

Ukraine and Poland also promise to create a joint logistics enterprise, which will have to increase the volume of railway traffic of Ukrainian grain exports to the EU and to world markets through Europe, Interfax reports. Ukrainian wheat is ready to transship the ports of Latvia, 4 million tons can be received by Estonian ports. The Lithuanian Railway is preparing for trial lots of grain, which will be delivered through the territory of Poland to Klaipeda.

The problem is that in the conditions of massive arms supplies to Ukraine, Russia is forced to destroy railway interchanges and traction substations. The delivery of military cargo makes it difficult to build new supply chains for Ukrainian grain exports in the direction of Europe. Guns instead of oil! All thanks to the persistent desire of the United States and NATO to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, using Ukraine as a gun carriage.

"Burger lovers" will pour "chowder"

The irony of the debate about food security in the global context is that 50 million people in the United States are also starving, however, according to American concepts. Everyone is free to find a suitable landfill where unsold sausages and burger patties are brought! You can find a shelter where they pour chowder.

In America, more than anywhere in the West, food goes to waste, literally thrown into landfill in the amount of 40 million tons per year. This is estimated to account for up to 30-40% of all food consumed in the US. The proportion of products not sold, spoiled or malnourished in landfills accounts for more than 20% of household waste.

It is noteworthy that before the pandemic in America, about 35 million people, including 10 million children, were outside the boundaries of food security criteria, that is, malnourished. In 2022, this number may grow to 50 million people. It is strange that in such a seemingly "well-fed" country, where a fifth of food is thrown away, there are also problems.

The first possible explanation is that edible calories are distributed strictly according to the laws of the market. No money - go to bed hungry! Where there is effective demand, everything with a margin, unsold is thrown away. All according to the rules and sanitary standards! What, then, about countries that face the most acute food shortages for objective reasons, including drought? Experts included Ethiopia, South Sudan, southern Madagascar and Yemen in the list of disaster zones.

The ability of the "golden billion" led by the United States to influence the food situation in the world is in question. Before the special military operation in Ukraine, more than 800 million people were already suffering from chronic food shortages, Yellen said. But the former Fed chief couldn't resist blaming "that" on Russia.

Yellen, in particular, recalled the global shortage of fertilizers, which is partially due to US attempts to limit Russian gas supplies to Germany and other EU countries.

Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, while in Washington to attend the G20 finance ministers meeting, said food security would be a key issue at the first meeting of the G20 finance officials meeting, which is currently led by Indonesia.

She warned that spikes in food and energy prices could "create huge political and social unrest." The rise in the food price index is leading to unrest. In particular, in the unrest of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, the main role was played by rising food prices, primarily wheat prices. In November 2016, it was €113 per ton. In April 2021, a ton of wheat cost more than €165, in November it rose to almost €278, by the beginning of May 2022 it had grown to €390 per ton.

Photo: Reuters