DISINFO: Ukraine and the West don’t contribute to global food security
SUMMARY
Ukraine and the West don’t contribute to global food security. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed mostly to deliver agricultural products to the countries of the Global South, but most of the Ukrainian products have been really destined to Europe. Due to the blocking of Russian exports and the sanctions still imposed on shipowners and bankers, Russia signed on 18 March an extension of the BSGI for 60 days, in face of the barriers pushed by Washington, Brussels and London in practically all economic sectors.
RESPONSE
The claims are either false or a gross distortion of facts, aiming to portray the West as a selfish actor in contrast to Russia’s “solidarity” with developing countries. In reality Russia is cynically trying to suffocate the Ukrainian economy including food exports. It is Russia’s blockade of several Black Sea ports what has led to big amounts of Ukrainian grain ending up in European countries due to logistical bottlenecks. This has pushed a part of Ukraine’s export onto roads and rail, where the EU Solidarity Lanes have been crucial to secure transport of Ukrainian food to the world market since May 2022
The EU is taking further actions to facilitate the transit of Ukrainian grain exports via the Solidarity Lanes so that they reach those countries in need. This includes continued work on lowering overall logistics costs, better coordinating transit and enhancing infrastructure in ports, border interconnections and other conduits under the EU Solidarity Lanes, as well as supporting the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI).
The EU has been at the forefront of the global response to support countries affected by food insecurity. Through the comprehensive Team Europe response, the EU and its Member States are providing around EUR 18 billion to address urgent and longer term needs (for 2021-2024). Around half of this support goes to Africa and EU’s Southern Neighbourhood in the Middle East, the regions most affected by the deterioration of food insecurity. Through the Team Europe response, the EU and Member States mobilised a very significant contribution of 9 billion EUR in 2022 to respond to the food crisis. Meanwhile, Russia’s contribution has been zero.
The best Russia could do to help global food insecurity is to stop its war in Ukraine.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that the EU is causing a global food shortage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, that Ukrainian grain goes to Europe instead of poor and developing countries, that the actions of Western countries led to the blockade of grain supplies, or that EU sanctions undermine global food security.