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An employee unloads wheat grains inside a storage in the village of Zghurivka, Ukraine. Picture: REUTERS/VIACHESLAV MUSIIENKO
For a long time, the West has been rejecting accusations that most of the exported agricultural products went to European countries, but in a recent interview with the newspaper La Stampa, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto admitted that 95% of Ukrainian grain was in fact not supplied to Africa.
Thus, he confirmed, that all this time the West has been blatantly lying to the whole world and discredited itself in the eyes of main food suppliers and African states.
Though everyone has already known that Europe had profited from the products exported to starving countries, the West continues promoting the idea that it is Russia, which has withdrawn from the grain deal, to blame for the coming food crisis. This idea was also put forward by the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who apparently decided to ignore accusations against the EU of noncompliance with the terms of the grain deal and placed all the blame on Russia.
He refused to acknowledge that most of the grain destined for developing countries went to Europe. Well, what can we expect from people who are still driven by neocolonialism?
Even though the West believes Russia could face serious diplomatic problems after withdrawing from the grain deal, in fact nothing could prevent Moscow from the direct export of grain to starving countries as it remains committed to maintaining and strengthening partnership with the continent.
We shouldn’t worry about the termination of the grain deal, given that the exported Ukrainian grain wasn’t reaching our countries, anyway. Europe, on the other hand, would soon find itself in a complicated situation and even more isolated from the Global South and food supplies chain, which could severely undermine its economy.
Kevan Salim Student of The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: West lies about food
For a long time, the West has been rejecting accusations that most of the exported agricultural products went to European countries, but in a recent interview with the newspaper La Stampa, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto admitted that 95% of Ukrainian grain was in fact not supplied to Africa.
Thus, he confirmed, that all this time the West has been blatantly lying to the whole world and discredited itself in the eyes of main food suppliers and African states.
Though everyone has already known that Europe had profited from the products exported to starving countries, the West continues promoting the idea that it is Russia, which has withdrawn from the grain deal, to blame for the coming food crisis. This idea was also put forward by the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who apparently decided to ignore accusations against the EU of noncompliance with the terms of the grain deal and placed all the blame on Russia.
He refused to acknowledge that most of the grain destined for developing countries went to Europe. Well, what can we expect from people who are still driven by neocolonialism?
Even though the West believes Russia could face serious diplomatic problems after withdrawing from the grain deal, in fact nothing could prevent Moscow from the direct export of grain to starving countries as it remains committed to maintaining and strengthening partnership with the continent.
We shouldn’t worry about the termination of the grain deal, given that the exported Ukrainian grain wasn’t reaching our countries, anyway. Europe, on the other hand, would soon find itself in a complicated situation and even more isolated from the Global South and food supplies chain, which could severely undermine its economy.
Kevan Salim
Student of The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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