Russia/Ukraine grain deal story reviewed

 

 

By Gilbert Doctorow

Russian suspension of grain corridor for export of Ukrainian grain:  Discussion on Iran’s Press TV

Once again, I am grateful to the journalists at Iran’s Press TV for prompting me to focus my thoughts on a very significant development in international relations which I otherwise would have not taken the time to look into closely.  The case here is the decision of the Russian authorities to suspend, effectively to cancel the ‘grain corridor’ deal that had been brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to facilitate export of grain from Odessa, where it had been blocked by the Russian naval presence from the start of the Special Military Operation.

In the discussion on air, I spoke about the underlying reasons why Russia would have likely refused to extend the grain agreement beyond its scheduled expiration in mid-November irrespective of the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian commercial and military vessels in the Sevastopol harbor this past weekend which were the given justification for Russia pulling out of the grain deal early.

It bears mention that in Russia media there is considerable speculation on why exactly so much grain was in fact sent to Europe and not to the world’s needy countries: the argument is raised that the actual owners of much of the Ukrainian grain are Europeans who bought up vast tracts of arable land in Ukraine and have been the force behind its recent industrial farming for export.  

Update: See the latest twist on this story written by Pepe Escobar here