DISINFO: Lithuania, EU robbing Ukraine and Third World countries
SUMMARY
Lithuanian authorities joined the European initiative “Grains from Ukraine” which is a project to rob Ukraine. The project is robbing Ukraine and pushing to starve Third World countries which need real help.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity by claiming that most of Ukraine's grain ships are sent to rich European countries.
This false allegation is in line with a wider pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign aiming to blame Western countries for a global food crisis engineered by Russia as part of its unjustified aggression against Ukraine.
Russia's responsibility for the global food crisis comes as a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.
The information about Ukrainian grain export is transparent. The statistics show that "66% of wheat exported through the Black Sea Grain Initiative reached developing countries. Maize, on the other hand, is exported mainly to developed countries, where it’s used primarily for food production (i.e. livestock feeding)." See also information about U.N. Black Sea Grain Initiative here.
See also article 15 of the conclusions of the European Council of 20 and 21 October 2022 which states:
Russia, by weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has provoked. Russia’s war of aggression has triggered disruptions of agricultural production, supply chains and trade that have driven world food and fertiliser prices to unprecedented levels. The EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes have made possible the export of significant volumes of Ukrainian crops, agricultural products and fertilisers to the countries most in need.
See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that Russia suspended grain deal because all Ukrainian grain goes to Europe, that only 3% of Ukrainian grains end up in poor countries, or that Ukraine is responsible for its inability to export grains and lack of food export.