DISINFO: Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal
SUMMARY
Russia should not be accused of withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal. Ukraine is guilty, which, with the support of the UK navy, recklessly attacked Russia’s Black Sea navy in Sevastopol.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aiming to deflect Russia’s responsibility for the growing food crisis and supply insecurity, exacerbating Moscow’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea grain deal.
Russia made the decision to suspend its participation in the deal after drone attacks on its vessels in the Bay of Sevastopol in Crimea. Yet, days later Russia reversed its decision in what seem a PR-exercise to avoid international blame and heavy criticism from the deals two other main actors: the UN and Ankara.
Moscow accused Ukraine and the UK of carrying out the attacks. The United Kingdom officially denied the accusations, and Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attacks. See more information about the attacks here.
At the same time, Russia is responsible for the global food crisis. It comes as a consequence of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine: naval blockade of Ukrainian posts, bombardment of transport infrastructure and shelling of farming regions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has destabilised global food markets and is driving food prices up due to increased cost of production, transport and freight insurance. Russia has destroyed substantial food stocks, production, as well as processing and transport capacities in Ukraine.
See other similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that the EU, not Russia, is behind the energy, food and economic crisis, or that the EU is causing a global food storage by keeping all the grain from Ukraine, or that the US and the EU don’t care about starving many millions of Latin Americans.