In Ukraine, grain silos are full. The fault with the impossible export abroad, because of the Russian invasion. But Russia could take advantage of the situation and steal some of the Ukrainian wheat, according to information from Washington.
Is Vladimir Putin taking advantage of the war in Ukraine to steal wheat? This is the theory put forward by Antony Blinken, the head of American diplomacy, during a conference on food insecurity on Monday June 6, 2022.
Facts already known
For the American representative, the information which reports that Russia “steals” Ukrainian wheat “to sell them for its own profit” is credible, relays AFP quoted by several media. He also accuses Moscow of “blackmailing” global food security. Blinken also accuses the Russian authorities of organizing a “naval blockade in the Black Sea which prevents Ukrainian crops from being transported.”
As noted by New York Times, the United States had already accused Russia in mid-May of stealing Ukrainian wheat to resell it to African countries, on the back of Ukraine. Mention is made of at least three cargoes of “stolen Ukrainian grain.” Similarly, the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey had mentioned grain thefts in Ukraine, which were then sold to other countries.
Tense situation in France
“We need maritime corridors and we are discussing this with Turkey and the United Kingdom,” the Ukrainian president asked on Monday. Currently, cereals are blocked in Ukraine. However, world demand is exploding, which mechanically increases the price of world prices.
Meanwhile, farms in France were hit by heavy hail and severe thunderstorms over the weekend following a drought in May, the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA) said on Monday. ), while the wheat market is already facing high volatility. Hail, strong winds and torrential rains caused damage in nearly 65 French departments, affecting cereal crops as well as vineyards and tree farms, the FNSEA said in a statement.
The damage suffered could add pressure to the global wheat supply already hurt by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has pushed up prices, both countries being major wheat producers.
