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Oleg Karpovich
The Kyiv regime is trying in every possible way to “revive” the problem of exporting Ukrainian grain, artificially created by it with the active support of the collective West.
Arguments that due to the mythical blockade by Russia of Odessa and other Black Sea ports of Ukraine, where tens of millions of tonnes of grain allegedly accumulated, almost a global food apocalypse could arise, seemed to someone in Ukraine clearly not enough.
Recently, it has launched into the public space and is actively promoting the thesis of Russia’s illegal appropriation of wheat and other cereal crops stored in elevators in areas liberated from neo-Nazis.
Our country is also openly accused of allegedly taking grain from Ukrainian farmers by force, depriving them of seed and minimal supplies.
It is claimed that all this is being done for the further resale of grain in foreign markets, but already under the Russian brand. No evidence or evidence of such theft is given.
However, they have nowhere to take. The task is different — to prevent the reduction of the anti-Russian disinformation campaign.
However, facts are stubborn things, and therefore the picture is as follows.
According to information available in the public domain, grain intended for export from Ukraine is dispersed among elevators and storage facilities located mainly in the western and central parts of the country, that is, in regions not affected by hostilities.
It belongs to more than one owner: not only the state, but also large agricultural holdings, including foreign ones, small private enterprises and farms that are free to dispose of their property based on their own benefit and real needs.
And they are now such that storage facilities must be urgently emptied of old grain stocks in order to prepare a place for a new crop.
Therefore, grain owners are now actively selling it all over the world, including to Russian entrepreneurs. Kyiv obviously does not like it.
In this case, we would recommend that Ukrainians carefully read the conclusions of experts from international organisations who rejected accusations against the Russian side of stealing Ukrainian grain.
In particular, the official representative of the UN Secretary General Stéphane Dujarric said on June 7, 2022 that he had discussed this issue with colleagues from the World Food Programme, but they did not confirm Kiev’s accusations against Russia.
And further, curious metamorphoses took place with Ukrainian grain in different years. In 2020, almost the entire strategic stock of grain disappeared from the warehouses of the State Reserve of Ukraine — 2 700 wagons were missing.
The loss was then attributed to voracious mice.
But the absurdity of the situation is that to absorb such volumes of grain in warehouses, about a billion rodents had to feast. Last autumn, Ukraine became so carried away by selling grain abroad that at some point, flour from its own wheat had to be purchased in Turkey.
His was no longer enough.
Russia does not need Ukrainian grain. Over the past decades, it has managed to become a recognised world leader in the supply of wheat to world markets.
Ukraine among exporters takes only the fifth place. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that in order to solve the problems of food security, Russia is ready to supply up to 30 million tonnes of grain to world markets this year, and up to 50 million tonnes next year.
However, to implement these plans, it is necessary to completely remove Western sanctions and restrictions on the export of Russian fertilisers and food, including bans on our ships entering foreign ports and foreign ships in domestic harbours, as well as barriers related to financial settlements and cargo insurance.
Russia is a reliable and trusted partner, fulfilling contractual obligations in good faith and with high quality. We value and will value our reputation. And it is worth it.
Oleg Karpovich is the vice-chancellor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Online Reporter