Ukraine Grain Exports - Myths And Reality
A deal between Ukraine and Russia aims to ease the global food crisis. - New York Times - Jul 23, 2022
BRUSSELS — Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on Friday to free more than 20 million metric tons of grain stuck in blockaded Black Sea ports in Ukraine, a deal aimed at bringing down soaring grain prices and alleviating a mounting global hunger crisis.
The highlighted claims are as false as much of the other NYT reporting on Ukraine.
Ukraine grain exports reach 47.2 million tonnes so far for 2021-22 - World-Grain.com - Jun 6, 2022
KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukraine has exported 148,000 tonnes of grain in the first five days of June, pushing its July to June 2021-22 marketing year total to 47.2 million tonnes, the country’s agriculture ministry said on June 6, Reuters reported.The ministry said the total volume included 18.578 million tonnes of wheat, 22.4 million tonnes of corn and 5.7 million tonnes of barley, with corn shipments dominating the June start, Reuters reported.
...
Ukraine reached 54.9 million tonnes of wheat, corn and barley exports in 2019-2020, but dipped to 44.9 million tonnes in 2020-21, mostly on lower wheat production, according to the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Feb. 1 Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) quarterly report. Before Russia's invasion, Ukraine had been projected to export 63.7 million tonnes of the grains in 2021-22.
The above numbers are more than 6 weeks old. Back then the difference between projected exports and exports up to June 5 was 63.7 - 47.2 = 16.5 million tons.
Ukraine's grain exports to reach 2 mln tonnes in June - deputy minister - Reuters - June 20, 2022
Ukraine’s grain exports will increase to 2 million tonnes in June from 1.7 million tonnes in May and reach the maximum volume that Ukraine can ship by land routes, First Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskiy said on Monday.
Since the first report a further 3 million tons of grains have been exported. The total left to export from the last season is thereby likely down to about 13 million tons.
Where the New York Times found '20 million metric tons' 'stuck in Black Sea ports in Ukraine' (because the Ukraine has mined the approaches) is unexplained.
As for 'soaring grain prices' please consult these charts.
Source: Trading Economics - bigger
Source: Trading Economics - bigger
To me it does not look like the recent prices have 'soared'.
The NYT also claims that the release of Ukrainian exports will be 'alleviating a mounting global hunger crisis'. In 2021 Ukraine's share of global wheat exports was 8.5% while Russia's was 13.1%. Since February exports from Russia had been hindered by 'western' sanctions on Russian banking, freight insurance and port access. In connection with yesterday's deal those sanctions have been at least partially removed. It will be Russian exports that will alleviate the hunger crisis much more than Ukraine's.
The NYT once had fact checkers who looked out for mistakes like the above ones. That now seems to be uncommon.
The main wheat farming in Ukraine occurs in the east and south where the war has likely led to much less planting during this season than in previous years. It is therefore unlikely that whatever will get harvested will be exported by farmers as local needs will have to be satisfied first.
Source: USDA - bigger
(The map above does not reflect the natural distribution. During the 2016-2020 period pictured above Luhansk and Donetsk had less than the usual production due to the civil war that had started in 2014. Crimea likewise had much less than the usual agricultural production as the Ukraine had since 2014 blocked its water supplies.)
Posted by b on July 23, 2022 at 10:06 UTC | Permalink
next page »I tbink the NYT might be bidding fair to become the modern Skibbereen Eagle. It made a point of keeping an eye on the Czar back in the day despite being a very small town paper. After all, the US had afaics no hand, act nor part in this grain deal. A harbinger of the future maybe?
Posted by: SamClemens | Jul 23 2022 10:47 utc | 2
After all, the US had afaics no hand, act nor part in this grain deal.
@SamClemens | Jul 23 2022 10:47 utc | 2
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Grain prices are set in Chicago.
https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/agricultural/grain-and-oilseed.html
Posted by: too scents | Jul 23 2022 11:03 utc | 3
>Crimea likewise had much less than the usual agricultural production as the Ukraine had since 2014 blocked its water supplies
Wheat and such are typically not irrigated here.
Posted by: inok | Jul 23 2022 11:03 utc | 4
As far as I know Middle Eastern and North African states relies mutch on the grains from this region. Russia (and many other nations) had halted grain exports for a year exept on goverment contracts so ukrainian wheat is important factor. Futures price could be different than spot prices.
But alsou Erdogan must portray himself as a regional leader, peacekeeper and benefactor. Signing this deal was a major triumph for him.
Price soaring and then going down could be becouse of exports buy land. There were some reports that planting was in full extent only in russian hold areas as in Ukraine there is ca lack of diesel fuel which is alsou used for the military.
Europe have some extreme heat, that would lower the crops. But maybe not so in major agricultural regions. We will see.
USD price had increased. So wheat stock price had increased by the same number. Maybe not for a long. There is certain oil componont in it.
Posted by: Alef | Jul 23 2022 11:06 utc | 5
It's getting so repetitive now these articles on blatant lies and propaganda in the western media that it highlights to me not only the contempt our regime has for us but the absolute blatant stupidity that the powers that be possess. An example of how worryingly dumb and moronic policy formulators are is the EU plan to pool energy resources for the winter. Each EU country is to put aside 15% of their gas, oil, logs and this pool of energy would be rationed out to eu countries who have no fuel during the winter. Not only is this plan impossible on a logistical basis, how to transport this fuel, storage etc, but the fact that this plan is clearly an attempt by Germany to source cheap fuel for the winter. What really worries me is that a group of people in Brussels actually believed this is a good idea and would solve the upcoming winter disaster problems. The fact then that this group then passed on this plan through the chain of command to the top of the EU and they too thought it was a good idea. Thankfully, behind closed doors, Spain, Portugal and Greece told them to get fucked and this great game changer of a plan is in the scrap bin where it shouldn't have left. If a company or a family was run like the EU is run it wouldn't be long before the managers and parents would be asked to step aside and take a rest. In the EU however, there is no accountability and stupidity seems to be a badge worn with pride. By the way, none of this I found on msm, I had to go digging, as we all do now in order to really see and understand, a thankless and frightening task.
Posted by: Eoin Clancy | Jul 23 2022 11:07 utc | 6
Looks like B is prepared to assign a grade of F for the facts used in the NYT essay? I wonder if failing grades determine mind game outcomes propaganda plays with?
Posted by: snake | Jul 23 2022 11:29 utc | 7
When the societal core motivation is profit and greed then it is not just the price gouging on commodities but the financialization of every aspect of the supply chain to allow manipulation for profit all along the way.
Because money is not grounded in intrinsic value, its association to commodities is manufactured and manipulated. Price discovery on everything is going to be completely rethought when the God of Mammon cult of global private finance is removed from the calculations.
Thanks for the ongoing efforts on exposure of truth b
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jul 23 2022 11:36 utc | 8
This propaganda is read by some locals, most of them learn geography when US bombs something and they forget the next day, but their real purpose is to be quoted in natostan MSM. "The NYT said so!!! It's science!!!".
Articles about himars or javelin are advertorials. They have to sell them to natostan members, don't they? They can't say "12 himars missiles intercepted". In Germany you would go to jail for that.
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 11:46 utc | 9
Accidentally playing a part time devil's advocate (unpaid for sure) in one of those slave labor internships... and hopefully not doing it well either...
I don't want to argue the NYT's case (whatever that might be, not clear to me and I'm not reading whatever they say) but these are the international trade commodity prices aren't they? I don't know what the local consumer prices are in for example the US (nor am I interested) nor do I know what any kind of regional national trade wholesale/resale/distribution prices are. I would guess those would all be different and potentially much higher and volatile.
If all that's wrong (could well be, "Earth rules" don't seem to apply much over there, until they suddenly do after all) then maybe the NYT piece was overreacting to the July spike in the second graph and simply not corrected, deliberately? In other words page filler and manipulative "crisis maximization"?
[ [OT/rant/bile spill] Low class US government prostitute "journalists". Nothing but filth, when did they ever do anything good? Don't say Watergate, a coup in disguise leading the public around by their noses. Nixon (like Kennedy) had bad sides, wouldn't have been US president otherwise, but it was still arranged bullshit. If he hadn't done anything usefully incriminating at all in his reactions (and if he hadn't realized more or less what was up) then I bet he too would have got a bullet or ten. ]
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Jul 23 2022 12:03 utc | 10
Russia signed an agreement in Turkiye 2 days ago which includes the commitment "...to not attack Ukrainian sea ports (Odessa in particular) during the next 120 days...".
Intelslava reports today "tugboats and some boats" were destroyed in Odessa. Does anyone know the cause? I speculate in order of probability: Flase flag; Accident (own mines,...); Terrorists (nazis from Ukraine or even western "assistants") defying the Ukrainian government; someone wants to create a pretext to "import" tug boats (or militarized look alikes) from Natostan; Russian breach of agreement(accidentally or not), other?...
Posted by: OttoE | Jul 23 2022 12:04 utc | 11
Russian wheat exports are nearly 2x versus Kiev’s. Therefore, it will be RF wheat that saves Africa from starving.
Question - does Kiev have any mineclearing capability or will this be ( also ) outsourced to NATO ?
Posted by: Exile | Jul 23 2022 12:15 utc | 12
I believe the 20 million metric tons of "grain" will cover the actual grain going out plus the weight of smuggled weapons going in. It may be a very accurate assessment after all. ;-)
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 23 2022 12:21 utc | 13
Whatever the subject, lies and omissions to better manipulate public opinion.
Thank you Bernhard for this analysis and the usda link.
As we can select by cereals, it is quite obvious that Novarussia [or at least the minimal zone to be controlled by Russia if we understand Lavrov well] represents half of the Ukrainian production for sunflower, and also half of the corn production.
For sunflower, Russia would control 75% of world production, but it only takes one or two seasons to change production and needs.
For cereals, even if half of its production will be lost by Ukraine, this represents only 10 to 20% more for the already leading Russian production [with the notable exception of corn, which would double or triple the current Russian production].
BUT no world upheaval because Russia and Ukraine, together, produce only 10 to 20% of the main cereals [and still without counting rice where their presence is anecdotal].
So it is very good for the development of the Slavic population and Eurasia.
Zone A is isolating itself agriculturally and will soon no longer be able to control access to cereals, with which it has been manipulating Africa and the Middle East for 200 years.
Posted by: La Bastille | Jul 23 2022 12:23 utc | 14
It's in Ukraines interest to sabotage the grain safe passage deal - at all costs.
The longer they can keep pressure (or the perception of it) on grain prices the longer they can milk public sympathy and perhaps support for their side of the narrative.
It's unlikely this deal will last a day, let alone a week.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jul 23 2022 12:29 utc | 15
psychohistorian | Jul 23 2022 11:36 utc | 8
______
Thanks for exposing the "invisible hand" of the market. It's more like sleight of hand under crony casino capitalism. The house -- the private bankster cartel -- always wins using magnets, loaded dice, and marked cards.
Posted by: Doug Hillman | Jul 23 2022 12:29 utc | 16
@OttoE - false and propaganda.
Here is what the agreement actually says:
In particular, the Parties agreed on the following:
- all Parties will provide maximum assurances regarding a safe and secure environment for all vessels engaged in this initiative;
- a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) will be set up in Istanbul under the auspices of the UN and including representatives of all Parties and the UN;
- inspection teams will be set up in Turkey, consisting from all Parties and the UN, and their primary responsibility will be to check for the absence of unauthorized cargoes and personnel on board vessels inbound to or outbound from the Ukrainian ports.
All activities in Ukrainian territorial waters will be under authority and responsibility of Ukraine, says the document.The Parties will not undertake any attacks against merchant vessels and other civilian vessels and port facilities engaged in this initiative.
...
Russia hit nothing that was "engaged in this initiative".
Russia has been preparing for 2022 for 30 years:
In 1992, the Schiller Institute for Science and Culture was established in Moscow as a Russian branch of the LaRouchite international Schiller Institute, and started publishing Russian translations of LaRouche’s essays.
Glazyev and LaRouche most likely met in person for the first time in April 1994, when LaRouche and his wife and associate Helga Zepp-LaRouche travelled to Russia and addressed a number of workshops, including one at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Glazyev’s senior colleague, late Russian economist Dmitry Lvov who was in contact with LaRouche too, was a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and might be one of the people who officially invited LaRouche to Moscow.
LaRouche's direct conversations with Russian scientists date back to 1994, when Pobisk Kuznetsov hosted LaRouche on his first visit to Moscow.
Representatives of the Schiller Institute for Science and Culture presented LaRouche’s memorandum “Prospects for Russian Economic Revival” at the State Duma, while later that year LaRouche himself appeared in the Russian parliament to present his report
In 1999, LaRouche published an English translation of Glazyev’s book Genocide: Russia and the New World Order
There was two LaRouche visits to Russia in 2001, the first being his arrival to testify at June 29 State Duma (lower house of parliament) hearings, convened by Economic Policy Committee Chairman Dr. Sergei Glazyev, on the possibilities for nations to survive the global financial crash.
The relations between LaRouche and Glazyev continued in the 2000s, the Putin era. In particular, LaRouche and Helga Zepp-LaRouche took part in the Duma hearing “On measures to ensure the development of the Russian economy under conditions of a destabilisation of the world financial system” held in June 2001 at the initiative of Glazyev who was then chairman of the Duma Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship.
Posted by: GEORGE M CHAMBERLAIN | Jul 23 2022 12:34 utc | 18
At what point does deliberate mistake shade into obvious disinformation hence blatant propaganda? Don't ask the NYT, they threw the baby out with the Iraqi bathwater twenty years ago.
Posted by: pasha | Jul 23 2022 12:36 utc | 19
Here is a link to a video (apparently) of the tugboat incident.
tugboat link
From intelslava:
Our source explains why the Russians hit the tugboat and military boats with missiles in the port of Odessa right now, after signing the grain case in Istanbul?
>Yesterday they began to disperse the message that the grain case is allegedly insurance of the Odessa region against offensive and missile strikes. The entire elite in Odessa immediately exhaled, and the military began to think about how to use this "insurance" for their own purposes.
Today, the Russians have destroyed this myth by hinting that if they suspect something and fix it, they will immediately strike at "military and related facilities." They don't care about the reaction of the West now. In fact, they don't even think about it now (by the way, the West created it itself when it immediately blamed the Russian Federation for any abandoned fake. Now the Russian Federation, the opinion of the West is not interested).
https://t.me/legitimniy/12955
And a mod update
⚡️🇷🇺 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine
▫️The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation in Ukraine.
💥 High-precision attack launched by Russian Aerospace Forces at a provisional base of 406th Artillery Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) deployed in Apostolovo (Dnepropetrovsk region) has resulted in the elimination of up to 200 servicemen, 9 artillery cannons and military equipment.
▪️Attack launched by Russian artillery at the positions of Donbass nationalist group deployed near Verkhnekamenskoye has resulted in the elimination of over 60 militants.
✈️💥 Attacks launched by operational-tactical aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has resulted in the elimination of over 50% of personnel of 2nd Battalion from 14th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU.
💥✈️ Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery continue launching attacks at the military facilities in Ukraine.
The list of neutralised targets includes 12 command posts, 4 missile, artillery armament and munitions depots near Nikanorovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Nikolayev, as well as 226 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration.
💥 Within the counter-battery warfare, 3 Grad MRLS plattoons have been neutralised near Adamovka, Slavyansk and Seversk, 3 Msta-S self-propelled artillery system plattoons, 10 Msta-B artillery gun plattoons, 24 D-20 artillery howitzer plattoons and 15 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery plattoons have been neutralised at their firing positions near Zvanovka, Paraskoviyevka, Opytnoye, Vesyoloye, Razdolovka, Bakhmutskoye, Vodyanoye, Georgiyevka, Chasov Yar, Serebryanka and Kamyshevakha (Donetsk People's Republic).
💥 Russian air defence means have destroyed 11 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Topolskoye, Dmitrovka, Novaya Gnilitsa, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Bolshiye Prokhody (Kharkov region), Ternovyie Pody, Kalinovka (Nikolayev region), Tsyurupinsk (Kherson region), Khartsyzsk and Gorlovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
📊 In total, 260 airplanes and 144 helicopters, 1,600 unmanned aerial vehicles, 357 air defence missile systems, 4,146 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 763 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,185 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 4,453 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 13:08 utc | 20
why the Russians hit the tugboat and military boats with missiles in the port of Odessa
@Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 13:08 utc | 20
---
Frontrunning the media the same way Elon Musk does.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 23 2022 13:14 utc | 21
The Der Spiegel journos and commentariat are already beating Putin for having breached the grain treaty by bombing Odessa.
Plus there are one thousand Russian army soldiers in a cauldron near Kherson.
Posted by: willie | Jul 23 2022 13:15 utc | 22
Just found this link about possible cauldron of Russian soldiers.
True? Propaganda. I don't know...but we will find out.
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 13:36 utc | 23
The fact checker is generally the copy editor. Copy editing at a daily publication is done on a dead run. Good copy editors have good sense about when to stop and check. The goal is mostly to prevent embarrassment to bylined reporters and damage to the paper's reputation. It ain't scholarly work.
Anyone who speaks Standard English and reads the press knows that copy editing is barely done today. Fewer editors, lower status. No one is embarrassed if they cling to the narrative. No one cares about reputation. Power and position substitute for character and quality.
Posted by: oldhippie | Jul 23 2022 13:37 utc | 24
The Der Spiegel journos and commentariat are already beating Putin for having breached the grain treaty by bombing Odessa.
the treaty hasnt been breached, all that was required of the Russians was not to bomb port via the sea. Which they haven't.
Posted by: Night Tripper | Jul 23 2022 13:46 utc | 25
I don't see a cauldron here...does anybody else?
link to isw map
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 13:54 utc | 26
@GEORGE M CHAMBERLAIN #18
Did'nt know Schiller Institute until now. Checked the German Website, was astonished /positively surprised. Many views there (currency system, parasitic financial sector, great reset, belt & road, focus on technology,...) have my unconditional support. The climate change denial, however, is IMHO deadly dangerous. Too much evidence (steepest increase in greenhouse gas concentrations EVER proved and strong correlation of warming with this single parameter, plus undeniable physics around), points in the opposite direction. What if Schiller Institute's view is wrong? How will our children's generations deal with that error? Agreed, if we try to counter it today, we lose money for other things worthwile. But if we don't...? Risk is damage times probability. Similar to nuclear war, humankind cannot afford this risk.
Moreover, with the burning of fossile fuels, a zoo of noxious substances is released at large scale: PM, SOx, VCOs, heavy metals, NOx (and subsequently ground-level ozone),... Even "innocent" CO2 domes have health degrading effects. (In this regard, NG is by far -factors 10...>1000 for most of the mentioned pollutants- the cleanest fossile energy carrier).
Given the scientific proof of the dimension of induced sickness, increased general mortality and last not least financial losses, the poisoning of the population today (especially in conurbations) leads to the conclusion that any philosipizing about global warming yes/no without contemplation of pollution is actus reus deception.
Posted by: OttoE | Jul 23 2022 13:55 utc | 28
Half a batallion + 200 + others is >1k. Seems like it was another bad day for nato nazis. Let's go for 1k5
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 14:01 utc | 29
OttoE | Jul 23 2022 13:55 utc | 28
"Given the scientific proof"
It's science, I read it on Wikipedia!!!
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 14:12 utc | 30
Hello B
I sent you a donation on your IBAN number.
Your web address is my favorite bar !
And it's a lighthouse to all of us.
Steph
Posted by: Stephane | Jul 23 2022 14:14 utc | 31
More about the strike on Odesa from Bloomberg:
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 14:17 utc | 32
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 14:17 utc |
Very hard to believe that the Russians would do something like this.
Any more context from other sources?
Posted by: Jpc | Jul 23 2022 14:26 utc | 33
If Russia did launch the strike, as the earlier intelslava post mentioned at 20 above, Russia would claim it was on a military related target.
Here's another video of the strike:
Link to Strike Video
Posted by: Objective Observer | Jul 23 2022 14:40 utc | 34
LaRouche/Zepp are cops. Those who want to talk about Schiller Institute are either cops or suckers.
Posted by: oldhippie | Jul 23 2022 14:40 utc | 35
How did the West survive when USSR had such disastrous wheat harvests in 1970s ? Did Europe perhaps grow more wheat itself before EU closed down farms and turned to food imports ? Or is it that harvests in Western nations are below expectations ?
Or is it that Barclays, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs have been speculating on wheat futures ?
Or maybe Russia is a much bigger wheat exporter than Ukraine ever was ?
Why does the German press suggest Deutsche Bahn has been organising freight trains from Romania and Slovakia to bring wheat westwards ?
How does Zelensky know anything about wheat at all since it has been trucked to Romania to the point where the border is backed up with trucks ?
Why does Zelensky's gangster army burn wheat fields and blow up silos as in Mariupol ?
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jul 23 2022 14:44 utc | 36
We can all read the text of the agreement. It says nothing about Russia not attacking Odessa for 120 days. It says Russia won’t attack the sea lanes used or the grain infrastructure in the port (it wasn’t doing either anyhow and international organizations have confirmed daily green corridors for shipping). Ukraine and the west got the short end of the stick on this deal and Ukrainian spruces are upset. It looks like the whole thing was pushed through by the US for a short term media “victory” and allowed by Russia because it comes with relieving agricultural sanctions, including shipping Russian grain out via the Black Sea.
It will be a medium term victory too because there’s no way the axis of incompetence (US-UK-Ukraine) can manage 120 days without trying to smuggle weapons on the grain route. That was always the whole point for them. So when they’re discovered, the whole world will again be shown that these are not serious or trustworthy people. And it will provide a clear justification for taking Odessa. Not really necessary except Putin really likes the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed carefully.
Posted by: Lex | Jul 23 2022 14:45 utc | 37
The Der Spiegel journos and commentariat are already beating Putin for having breached the grain treaty by bombing Odessa.
Spiegel is hardly an impartial reporting agency. As for Odessa, it is home to NATO and Romanian Spec Ops so should expect to be roasted. There was no cease-fire agreed simply the Ukies would supply their own pilots to navigate out to open waters and Russia would grant safe passage in agreed coordinates to Turkish inspection facilities.
Nothing about leaving Ukrainian forces in control of a major Russian city
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jul 23 2022 14:49 utc | 38
A point of possible concern is that the second European heat wave, set for around early to mid August will hit much of the combat zone, hitting temperatures where self-sustaining grass and crop fires can occur very easily.
The first one recently didn't really hit the Ukrainian steppe so badly, this one is projected to get into the 30s.
Posted by: Altai | Jul 23 2022 14:53 utc | 39
@rk #30
Not sure what you mean. (1) In opposition to political and -at least partly- historical matters, is Wikipedia IMHO in scientific matters well worth to be taken serios. (2) I referred in the paragraph you quoted from to the health effects of pollutants. I have dozens of papers dealing with mortality from particulate matter, dito respiratory deseases like asthma, dito degradation of the brain (Alzheimer), the eyes, reproduction system and cancer statistics related to diesel traffic (Tokyo/Osaka study). The same holds for ozone "...we in emergency can foretell the stroke wave of the day from just knowing the ozone level...". To belittle/deny this is ignorant and cynical.
On this occasion I take advantage to mention one more, if not the worst, contributer to pollutants: Waste incineration. While it is undisputed that the volume reduction and energetic recycling are useful, the amount and compositional quality of the waste (additional heavy metals, chlorine,...) generate more and different pollutants which cannot completely removed from the waste gas, waste gas washers, ashes, even if glassified. This environmental sin is facilitated by the burning of coal, as waste is co-fired as "substitute fuel". Or it lands in cement kilns which could be fired with clean gas. The bottom line is unnecessary pollution due to an unsustainable life style which drowns the world in plastics waste.
Posted by: OttoE | Jul 23 2022 15:06 utc | 40
I've seen a video claiming it was from the Odessa explosion, recorded at relatively close distance. It looked like something exploded in the water but it wasn't big, looked like a mine or small missile could do that. The video didn't include the exact beginning of explosion, it's a second later, didn't show if a missile hit something or it was a mine explosion, just the column of water raising.
If the puppets start to be agitated it means the whole UN/Turkey agreement was just another fake deal, like Minsk.
AFP "quotes" Shitenskyy that "Russia bombed Odessa", it looks like something Bojo would say. Remember, if a story is beyond idiotic then it comes from UK, if it is regular idiotic it comes from US
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 15:18 utc | 41
Re the tonnage of grain shipped from Ukraine. The focus in the media has been on wheat, but the is also barley and corn ect.
From a February 2021 article.
Harvest...
. Corn – 29.8 million tons;
· Wheat – 25.1 million tons;
· Sunflower – 13.1 million tons;
· Barley – 7.8 million tons;
· Peas – 516.2 thousand tons;
· Millet – 244 thousand tons;
· Buckwheat – 106.5 thousand tons;
· Soybeans – 2.8 million tons;
· Rapeseed – 2.6 million tons.
"According to Stark Shipping, the total export of grain crops from the seaports of Ukraine in 2020 reached 53.5 million tons. Compared to 2019, exports decreased by 7.4 million tons."
https://en.usm.media/the-complete-analysis-ukranian-grain-exports-in-numbers-and-names/
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 15:18 utc | 42
Another update from the same AFP: Turkey's defense minister said that Moscow denies any attack on Odessa
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 15:19 utc | 43
The latest news on Odessa getting hit.
🇹🇷🇷🇺🇺🇦 Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Russia was not involved in the attack on the port of Odessa.
"In the contacts we had today with Russia, it was stated that it had nothing to do with the attack. They are carefully investigating the incident," the Turkish Defense Minister quoted the words 😁
Indeed its becoming a farce...
Posted by: DutchZ | Jul 23 2022 15:23 utc | 44
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar - "In the contacts we had today with Russia, it was stated that it had nothing to do with the attack. They are carefully investigating the incident,"
Bojo did it. He probably snorted too much since he lost his job
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 15:24 utc | 45
There will be constant "Russian attacks" on the the Ukraine held ports now. Russia starving the world is a bit of propaganda the US/UK will keep going.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 15:24 utc | 46
Intel Slava Z, [23/07/2022 16:02]
🇹🇷🇷🇺🇺🇦 Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Russia was not involved in the attack on the port of Odessa.
"In the contacts we had today with Russia, it was stated that it had nothing to do with the attack. They are carefully investigating the incident," the Turkish Defense Minister quoted the words 😁
Posted by: Barofsky | Jul 23 2022 15:29 utc | 47
Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 15:24 utc | 46
You may be very right. One more reason cut all sea access. Nato could easily shoot at transport ships from Bulgarian or Romanian waters and blame Russia for attacking them if Odessa remains controlled by nato.
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 15:30 utc | 48
From Cassad
Regarding strikes on the Odessa port. If you carefully study the published documents of the agreement on the export of grain, it is easy to see that:
collapse1. There are no obligations of Russia not to strike at Odessa. There are only obligations not to attack the infrastructure necessary for the export of grain.
2. The destroyed boats in the port have nothing to do with the export of grain. These are military targets that can and should be destroyed as part of achieving the goals of the NMD, which have not disappeared anywhere.
3. This strike simply shows that the export of grain according to Istanbul-1 does not mean the cessation of hostilities and attacks on Odessa will continue.
4. How does it work? Take Hodeida in Yemen. In 2018, from June to November, as part of Operation Golden Victory, the Saudi coalition, with the support of Israel and the United States, fought intense battles against the Houthis, with missile and air strikes, with thousands of dead and hundreds of pieces of destroyed equipment (Saudi and co. raked). All this did not interfere with the process of implementing the agreements (although they were also thwarted) on the entry of ships with food for the starving population of Yemen into the port of Hodeidah. agreements under the auspices of the UN.
So the war is separate, the grain is separate.
The tantrums about the strikes are to try to provide cover for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Odessa with grain export agreements. The worst thing that the Russian Federation could do is to stop strikes on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odessa and the Odessa region because of the tantrums of Kyiv and its sponsors. I hope the strikes continue. The best way to stop attacks on the port of Odessa is to withdraw the entire military infrastructure from there, while the city is not yet liberated.
I personally think it's precisely the way to go about trying to screw Russian agreement.
Posted by: EdingeL | Jul 23 2022 15:31 utc | 49
Russia starving the world is a bit of propaganda the US/UK will keep going.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 15:24 utc | 46
Putin in one of his speeches said that Russia would be blamed for the consequences of policies enacted by the West.
In truth there is no real shortage of either food or energy. It is the collapsing financial system and the attendant inflation that is the main cause of what is rapidly becoming a global crisis. Many causes and culprits will be blamed for what is coming, but it needs to be recognised that all of these problems can be traced back to one source. And, none of this is accidental, it is another move in the Globalists’ plan for the “Great Reset”. If Covid was phase one, Food is phase two.The Great Reset requires the destruction of economies and societies as we know them. To the Globalists it is all about maintaining control following the inevitable and probably imminent collapse of the neo-liberal financial system. Starving the world’s population into submission appears to be an obvious part of that plan. This is a future in which those not killed off by Covid, will be eating bugs.
What would have been considered a wild conspiracy theory just a few months ago is now hard to deny. Fires at more than 100 food processing plants in America, baby food shortages, and deliberate refusal to restart America’s own abundant domestic energy resources are indications of the deliberate nature of this plan. Biden’s first action upon election was to shut down the oil pipeline from Canada. Without affordable energy there is no fertiliser, without fertiliser there is no farming. American farmers have felt themselves to under pressure to not farm ever since Biden took office.
Daily it appears that the government is enacting new measures to further exacerbate the problem. California for example has enacted a new law that prevents independent truckers from accessing California ports. Independents make up the majority of the truckers and this will only serve to create more supply chain chaos as was witnessed at the L.A. ports last year.
The chaos endured for months and was the cause of a further destruction of thousands of smaller businesses who couldn’t get stock. Incompetence alone cannot explain this.
The Great Reset Phase 2, ‘The Hunger Games’
Posted by: Down South | Jul 23 2022 15:52 utc | 50
EdingeL | Jul 23 2022 15:31 utc | 49
Cassad says a lot of things, most of it is only in his head. He doesn't know it was Russia, no one knows, there is no comment from Russia yet, it's weekend. good thing that Turkey works the weekends to keep us updated.
But he is right that you can't stop the war for 120 days so that Shitenskyy sells grain for nice money that he steals and gets some new weapons from nato in Odessa.
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 15:52 utc | 51
First; Ukraine soon after strikes declares no grain shipping facilties hit.
Second; after that Ukraine acusses Russia of hitting port facilities with missiles.
Third; looking at the videos of the hits, it looks more like shells exploding rather than
heavy missiles.
"Roque" Ukrainian units firing...?
Posted by: DutchZ | Jul 23 2022 15:52 utc | 52
A day after the agreement was signed, bombs land in Odessa harbour damaging tug boat(s):
https://www.rt.com/russia/559515-ukraine-odessa-port-attack/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62276392
IntelSlava first shares story on why Russia did it:
>Our source explains why the Russians hit the tugboat and military boats with missiles in the port of Odessa right now, after signing the grain case in Istanbul?
>Yesterday they began to disperse the message that the grain case is allegedly insurance of the Odessa region against offensive and missile strikes. The entire elite in Odessa immediately exhaled, and the military began to think about how to use this "insurance" for their own purposes.
Today, the Russians have destroyed this myth by hinting that if they suspect something and fix it, they will immediately strike at "military and related facilities." They don't care about the reaction of the West now. In fact, they don't even think about it now (by the way, the West created it itself when it immediately blamed the Russian Federation for any abandoned fake. Now the Russian Federation, the opinion of the West is not interested).
Then shares story on why Russia didn't do it:
🇹🇷🇷🇺🇺🇦 Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Russia was not involved in the attack on the port of Odessa.
"In the contacts we had today with Russia, it was stated that it had nothing to do with the attack. They are carefully investigating the incident," the Turkish Defense Minister quoted the words 😁
Which is Myth, which is Reality then?
Posted by: Et Tu | Jul 23 2022 16:03 utc | 53
Interesting stuff happening this Saturday:
1) Russia attacks Odessa harbour with four rockets, according to Dutch media based on Ukraine military sources (on Telegram). Ukraine Gov. has immediate reaction. Dutch foreign minister was also diligent immediately calling the attack scandalous and for Russia to be held to account.
Logic: - does Russia have an interest in attacking Odessa harbour at this moment, or at all?
- does someone else have an interest in claiming Russia atatcked the Odessa harobour a day after the Istambul signatures. (Shoigu signed, and then attacked Odessa!?*%)
2) WHO, Tedros, declares monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency, the highest alert. There had been five deaths so far as a result of the outbreak, he said.
Take a look at the BBC report, all will be clear to those with who have CS (common sense).
See also the topic and image lineup on the WHO website: https://www.who.int/
Notice
- that monkeypox is, reportedly, a serious problem in Europe (where unrest among the populations is growing and threatening the rulers)
- that quick development of vaccines is planned.
There is lots to notice this Saturday. Fine weekend!
Posted by: JB | Jul 23 2022 16:09 utc | 54
rk @ 41
Your explanation makes some sense of it. It did not look like a high value military target in the video but appeared to be fairly close to some agriculture silos. Also, it could have happened in the past and was released for public consumption now.
More headlines equals more reinforcement of their objectives.
Posted by: circumspect | Jul 23 2022 16:11 utc | 55
"This is a war of propaganda"
Pilger dixit, and he is an experienced and trustful source. Front pages of the usual "truth" providers are raging with Odessa and monkeypox, and it is still July, we'll see what happens in September if we make it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9pEotvlW-s
Someone quoted Arestovich about a cauldron boiling a thousand Russian troops in Vysokopolye, readovka denies it, but then again, it is a war of propaganda, nobody to be fully trusted even though the Ukrainians and western MSM have an awful record.
https://t.me/readovkanews/39085
Posted by: Paco | Jul 23 2022 16:23 utc | 56
@Objective Observer, Paco,
Reports of 100s of Russian troops getting kettled on the Kherson front are almost certainly false, based on a misreading of an OSINT map that spread around
Posted by: Yenwoda | Jul 23 2022 16:39 utc | 57
By the way, according to the Polish minister of agriculture, 96% of all grain exports from Ukraine to Poland was corn, not wheat. He was explaining, because there were certain protests by the Polish farmers. Most probably, Ukraine has no wheat for export, but it had to make a show.
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 16:41 utc | 58
I don't buy the speculation in this tweet that Russia may have been trying to hit the grain silos themselves, but the mapping appears accurate:
https://twitter.com/OAlexanderDK/status/1550838584739069952
Absurd to say that a dock at that location isn't covered by the "port facilities" provision of the signed agreement.
Posted by: Yenwoda | Jul 23 2022 16:49 utc | 59
Ukraine war: Explosions rock Ukrainian port hours after grain deal
By Matt Murphy (BBC a-hole)
Russian missiles strike Odesa one day after grain export deal agreed
By Rob Picheta, Alex Stambaugh and Jake Kwon, (CNN a-holes)
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Russia strikes port after agreeing to let ships leave By Nadine El-Bawab,Bill Hutchinson,Emily Shapiro,Kevin Shalvey,Ivan Pereira,Morgan Winsor, andMeredith Deliso (ABC News a-holes)
US, Ukraine accuse Russia of striking Odesa day after signing deal to allow grain exports By Caitlin McFall (Fox News a-hole)
And, everywhere is "free" western MSM by all kinds of a-holes...
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 17:00 utc | 60
And this will be repeated by all kinds of a-holes in WH and EU governments, presidents, prime ministers and the rest of all kinds of a-holes.😏
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 17:03 utc | 61
The obvious source of explosions in Odessa harbour would be de-mining operations carried out by amateurs and fascist provocateurs.
Posted by: bevin | Jul 23 2022 17:15 utc | 62
Yes,ostro,and that is now the standard procedure every time there is a talk,negociation,agreement on the way.Remember the Istanbul talks,followed by Butcha,now grain export agreement followed by missile hits.So as the average nobody will agree with the paid trolls under MSM articles like der spiegel,figaro,le monde etc,that no way you can trust Putin,Russians because its only lies as everybody will notice.
Posted by: willie | Jul 23 2022 17:19 utc | 63
The Great Reset Phase 2, ‘The Hunger Games’
Posted by: Down South | Jul 23 2022 15:52 utc | 50
" And, none of this is accidental... "
True. These crises, including the conflict in Ukraine, are part of a concerted effort to fundamentally change the overall polity of the West and perhaps also Asia. Significant Globalist elements in Russia and China are involved, the same which coordinated the scientifically unjustified lock downs world wide and new gene-editing immunity compromising shots shortly thereafter.
Most of us will refuse to countenance this view no matter how glaringly obvious it becomes for reasons well described in Mein Kampf viz how liberal/Jewish propaganda works.
And Boy does it work!
Get ready for a Holodomor which future historians will sincerely insist was not the result of deliberate actions on the part of respective leadership. Indeed, they will guilt shame any who suggest otherwise.
Q: What backs the US Dollar?
A: The US Military
hahahahahahahahaha
Posted by: Wester | Jul 23 2022 17:35 utc | 65
rk | Jul 23 2022 15:18 utc | 41
"Remember, if a story is beyond idiotic then it comes from UK, if it is regular idiotic it comes from US."
I like this sentence a lot. Really sums it all up.
And this sentence, exactly like you wrote it here, should be Lavrov's and Peskov's catch phrase with the media, when commenting on the newest sick and impossible twist of the narrative. The tossers heading the US, EU, UK, NATO have to be called out for what they are, have to be humiliated and ridiculed publicly. Instead, they keep making long-winded statements about "colleagues" and such.
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 23 2022 17:49 utc | 66
In response to Et Tu@53,
One piece of information is attributed to an anonymous source, and the other to Turkish MOD, so one's a rumor and the other an official position. As for what actually happened, it's too early to tell. The logic of Cassad and others checks out, since this deal isn't some localized cease-fire and military targets remain valid targets. There was an announcement today or yesterday by a former Odessan oligarch that he was preparing or had already prepared a unit for capturing Nikolaev and Odessa -- from what I gathered, this character may be unreliable. I also recall talk from as early as March-April, theorizing about potential scenarios for Odessa, one of which was that the city is voluntarily demilitarized by Ukraine in exchange for becoming a temporary UN protectorate for the duration of the conflict. Maybe the field is being prepared to make a push for such a scenario?
Posted by: Skiffer | Jul 23 2022 17:59 utc | 68
JB [54]
Don‘t worry about Monkeypox unless you are a friend of Dorothy. Anyway a Danish company was funded by German and US regime some years back to re-purpose a Smallpox vaccine just for such an eventuality.
You see the vaccine research is always ongoing BEFORE you catch the latest WHO fad. Monkeypox seems to be rather like GRID was - restricted to certain men but promoted as affecting everyone so they did not feel singled out
Maybe social distancing from the risk groups might help but no one will suggest that
Posted by: Paul Greenwood | Jul 23 2022 18:05 utc | 69
Scorpion @ 67
There is nothing special about Panetta. He is just your typical politician with a military intelligence background. Guys like him believe they are doing "Gods work" and they are handsomely rewarded. If he kicked against the pricks they would have ran him off long ago.
There are so many Paneetas in the system it is impossible to change the systems form of thought. More are being activated every day. It would take a generation or two to remove them all if their education system was removed today.
Posted by: circumspect | Jul 23 2022 18:08 utc | 71
I have put a few quotes, one from Lavrov which basically declares hybrid war on the US and quoted sections from a couple of Glazyev interviews. The SMO, I believe is just a very small part of Russia's much larger operation to destroy US power and as such, designed to fit into the overall strategy of Russia's hybrid war on the US.
https://vk.com/@739151204-sergey-glazyev-new-world-settlement-currency
I also posted the Russia China joint statement the other day with a comment of what I see as the importance of it. https://vk.com/@739151204-russia-china-joint-statement
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 18:15 utc | 72
We did everything in our power to avoid a direct conflict. But they issued a challenge and we have accepted it.
Good work to have all those important links together.
Posted by: Paco | Jul 23 2022 18:38 utc | 73
80% of the ukrain's grain is produced by the people the US imposed Nazi regime deems "cockroaches" and "subhumans", now safely stored for export beyond the Dniepr while the Novorossiyans are deprived of the profit for their grain.
Next year, what's left of rump ukraine will not have enough for export let alone feed itself. It'll be totally dependent on EU handouts.
Posted by: mikhas | Jul 23 2022 18:45 utc | 74
PeterAU1@72, thank you for linking to your VK space & essays, articles & links. regarding the glayzev, i wonder about the assumption regarding the yuan? looking @ the enormous interconnections china has built over the last 25yrs, isn't it possible that a great many countries & trading blocks within its bri, sco etc. be a much larger, more populous, resource rich number than the empire of chaos, lies, outlaws, & therefore a safer, easier & more natural alternative?
Posted by: emersonreturn | Jul 23 2022 19:08 utc | 75
mikhas | Jul 23 2022 18:45 utc | 74
Its worth reading the recent RT interview with Lavrov. karlof1 posted it here a few threads back. Russia has no intention of chopping off more Ukraine territory. It will be only if Ukraine uses long range US weapons to target Russian federation territory and then it will be along the north. Once this is over, Russia intends for Ukraine to be relatively prosperous again. There is nothing vindictive or vengeful in Putin and the Russian leadership. It is about bringing peace and safety.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 19:09 utc | 76
emersonreturn | Jul 23 2022 19:08 utc | 75
I think this is about setting up a currency that is controlled/owned by all rather than a single nation such as the US dollar. And within that each nation will be free to use whatever currency they want in trade or as reserves.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 19:15 utc | 77
It would take a generation or two to remove them all if their education system was removed today.
Posted by: circumspect | Jul 23 2022 18:08 utc
If they all magically disappeared one day unless the system was changed new individuals and tribally affiliated would soon step up to take their place.
"President Biden completed his second full day of PAXLOVID last night," Dr. Kevin O'Connor said. "His symptoms continue to improve. His primary symptoms, though less troublesome, now include sore throat, rhinorrhea, loose cough and body aches."
"His voice remains deep," O'Connor said. "His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain entirely normal. His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear."
Dr. O'Connor doesn't say anything about his brain, by the way...😏
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 19:46 utc | 79
Strike or False Flag no difference.
The Biden & EU regimes and more importantly the Zelensky regime are hell bent on alienating Odessans from Russia. The Zelensky regime (+ vested interests ) will throw the kitchen sink at preventing this marriage of destiny.
Do you Odessans take Russia to be your lawful wedded wife? We do!
You may kiss my ass Mr Zelensky.
Posted by: WTFUD | Jul 23 2022 19:51 utc | 80
Dr. O'Connor doesn't say anything about his brain, by the way...😏
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 19:46 utc | 79
That is something that is far past medical help.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 19:52 utc | 81
It seems to me that with Argentina eventually joining BRICS, and Ukraine coming under Russian control, much of the world's food production (particularly grains) will be under the control of the Alternate Economy. ... Along with Energy Supplies, food will become a huge 'Ace-up-the-Sleeve' in the future.
Posted by: Robert | Jul 23 2022 19:57 utc | 82
"..Get ready for a Holodomor which future historians will sincerely insist was not the result of deliberate actions on the part of respective leadership. Indeed, they will guilt shame any who suggest otherwise." Scorpion@64
"...any who suggest otherwise." Unless they have real evidence to put forward. So far no evidence has emerged from the copious Soviet Archives that the government did not set out to mitigate the effects of the famine.
In fact history shows that, after centuries in which such famines were a regular and constantly feared part of life in Russia, there were no famines after 1933.
Perhaps, Scorpion, this was because the Five Year Plans put the Communist Party in a position to buy ammunition and save the state the messy alternative of inventing famines in order to wipe out peasants?
Posted by: bevin | Jul 23 2022 20:02 utc | 83
NYT doesn’t make “mistakes” that need fact checking because it is not in fact a news organization, but an ongoing information operation.
Posted by: nwwoods | Jul 23 2022 20:03 utc | 84
@Yenwoda #59
Who is this guy from your Twitter link? Is he sure, it was a Kalibr? And if so, which one? The older 3M-14E Club LACM has an accuracy of 50 m CEP. The SS-N-30A is an improved version. Your claim about a hit in ("about", yet another possible source of manipulation) 500 m distance is... "Absurd to say that a dock at that location isn't covered by the "port facilities" provision of the signed agreement appears a bit of a stretch. What radius do you have in mind? We should ask Ukraine then to demilitarize themselves the area proposed by you.
On this occasion an anecdote: In the late 1980s I visited an East German military airport with a technical team. When the talk came to the precision of missiles, they agreed that NATO may have more advanced accuracies. They said, however, this wouldn't hardly matter, as they always "put some more kilotons" in the head. So, please don't draw wrong conclusions from your Twitter friend's statement about the ...usual "precision" of Russian ammunition...".
Posted by: OttoE | Jul 23 2022 20:07 utc | 85
Posted by: Eoin Clancy | Jul 23 2022 11:07 utc | 6:
In the EU however, there is no accountability and stupidity seems to be a badge worn with pride. By the way, none of this I found on msm, I had to go digging, as we all do now in order to really see and understand, a thankless and frightening task.
Yeah, they are pretty dumb regarding mundane logic and people's livelihoods etc. But when come to browning their noses in the right arseholes and sycophanting the right narrative (regardless of whether they actually understood them), these people are mighty smart. Those kinds of smarts are what count in getting them to where they are.
Posted by: Oriental Voice | Jul 23 2022 20:09 utc | 86
Scorpion | Jul 23 2022 17:31 utc | 64 "Significant Globalist elements in Russia and China are involved,.."
You need to quit reading the PTSD Veterans Today, find better sources and discern between elite ruling groups and genuine leaders of their peoples.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 20:17 utc | 87
All bridges in the Ukraine were built in the USSR days. While retreating the Ukr army usually try to destroy these bridges. That is as though they are not planning to return. Last few days, they were using those highly advertised Himars missiles at two bridges in one in Kherson oblast, another in Zaporozhye oblast. Both were attacked with 2 packets of Himars missiles. But, both bridges are still working, practically unharmed. Tells something about these American weapons...😏
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 20:25 utc | 88
Viktor Orban
The Russians have formulated a very clear security requirement that Ukraine does not become a member of NATO and that it does not deploy weapons that can reach Russia. The West rejected it. They didn't even want to discuss it. If Trump had been the American president and Merkel the German chancellor, this war would never have flared up. But we were not lucky, so now there is a war.In war, Western strategy is based on four pillars. The first is that Ukraine is not alone, it needs Anglo-Saxon instructors and the country can win the war with Russia with NATO weapons, the second is the sanctions that will weaken Russia, the third is the consequences of sanctions that we could deal with, but Russia cannot. The fourth element was that the world would line up behind us. Instead, we sit in a car with four flat tires. It is quite obvious that the war cannot be won in this way. Well, Ukrainians with American training, officers and weapons will never win a war with Russia. Simply because the Russian army has an asymmetrical advantage.
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 20:29 utc | 89
@Robert #82
Totally my opinion as well. That's why I wrote on June 13 a post about the land grab in Ukraine in the last 20 years and the impending sellout to western "investors" to pay for the war debt. (#43 here). And no, I don't buy it that Bill Gates, the biggest agrarian land owner in the US, exclusively has the motive of "studying agrarian technologies" as landincome.com claims. At least they owe us another similarly smooth explanation why George Soros owns even more in Argentina.
Posted by: OttoE | Jul 23 2022 20:35 utc | 90
PeterAU1@77, thank you for your response, most reasonable, my point, badly stated, was not disputing that the methods of exchange & how it might be based bt rather that gold, commodities may be the base bt also just as gold holds in turmoil is it not conceivable that the largest economy in the world, no matter alliances, & also the largest supplier of goods also hold & provide a trading platform: ie., iran can trade with oil, gems, its currency bt also mightn't it also hold & freely trade the yuan it accumulates through trade? just as russia might find herself or her citizens holding amounts of yuan which she could handily trade in syria, cuba, yemen? further china or chinese citizens trading in such countries as mena/south america/africa also find themselves holding possibly gold, possibly a commodity sought after bt also roubles which they could trade quite equitably. my thought is that yuan will hold its value, unless the chinese govt chooses to correct it & allow it to float lower for some current reason, bt ultimately it will hold, simply b/c it will be easier to trade than gold (disclosure: i hold gold/silver) & allowing the currency to trade freely will be natural. thank you again for the work you have done for the benefit of us all.
Posted by: emersonreturn | Jul 23 2022 20:48 utc | 91
Sullivan is concerned about Zelensky's safety. That mean Ze has more value as a carcass than an actor for the US. A dead man walking.
“President Zelensky’s personal safety is something that concerns us,” Sullivan told the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. “This is a leader in wartime, dealing with an enemy in Russia that is ruthless, brutal and capable of just about anything.”“President Zelensky takes the precautions you would expect to protect himself,” Sullivan continued, adding that the US is helping to “facilitate” the Ukrainian leader’s security, without elaborating.
The quote is from RT but a simple search bring up lots of news articles.
Lira talks bout it a bit here. I don't agree with most of his take but I think he is correct in that Zelensky is now dead meat.
https://twitter.com/GonzaloLira1968/status/1550892028896100353?cxt=HHwWgoCytaqF8IUrAAAA
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jul 23 2022 20:54 utc | 92
ostro #79
His brain is below minimum threshold to measure. 'Lost in the noise level' is the term we use ;)
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jul 23 2022 21:04 utc | 93
I think the destruction must be massive, cia is getting desperate with the fakes these days.
Strangely arestovich puppet said there's no cauldron with Russians, it was only an attempt that failed
US said they'll send 30 more himars.
So let's see if Lavrov's words are put into action or they mean nothing, like "hit decision centers" was. But it's clear that us has no plans to stop, so keeping the puppets alive has no logic. There are so many weapons there, some day they'll manage to hit something big, like an npp or a large city
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 21:08 utc | 94
Posted by: ostro | Jul 23 2022 21:15 utc | 95
Q: What backs the US Dollar?
A: The US Militaryhahahahahahahahaha
Posted by: Wester | Jul 23 2022 17:35 utc | 65
Right. This will probably be the main problem with the US defeat in Ukraine. The american paper tiger also turns the dollar into paper.
Posted by: njet | Jul 23 2022 21:25 utc | 96
Ukraine fired 3 rockets from the Grad MLRS with incendiary shells in the Voroshilovsky and Kalininsky districts of Donetsk, office of the Donetsk People's Republic at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the ceasefire regime said.
I can't see large fires caused by it in the videos posted, that is the good part. The bad part is that it's another Shoigu failure to prevent atacks on cities in Donbass or Russia
Posted by: rk | Jul 23 2022 21:28 utc | 97
ostro #95
Germanies problem is two fold. If it cannot get enough gas for its citizens they might get anxious (not revolt that is) it will have to close the reverse flow to Poland. Then Poland people will revolt and the usa will get cranky and blame Germany. Either way it looks delightfully grim for both.
I imagine Russia is fully prepared for a winter campaign to complete its SMO.
Posted by: uncle tungsten | Jul 23 2022 21:29 utc | 98
@OttoE #85, not sure what flavor of Kalibr but it's been pretty widely reported and there's a video of it overflying some houses on its way that seems to match if legitimate... plus given the target they would most likely be sub/ship fired which would also match. Actually I more or less believe the claimed CEP for Kalibr, it's a pretty impressive missile and while it doesn't have the decoy/maneuver capabilities of Iskander it seems much more reliable. So I don't think Russia was trying to hit the grain silos.
But the targets were clearly part of the port facilities (literally, docks within the same port subcomplex used for grain) - see these 2 links which map the second impact plus a photo from sea showing how close to the silos the hits were:
https://twitter.com/obretix/status/1550869976151740417
https://twitter.com/obretix/status/1550790565012307973
If I ran a shipping company that would make me *extremely reluctant* to use any of my fleet to transport grain from Odessa and I'd read it, especially given the timing, as a signal that Russia really doesn't feel constrained by the agreement it just signed. Frankly (and contra "b") it's a straightforward violation of the agreement.
I'm not sure how your proposal about "demilitarization" would work. Ukraine is at war, it's going to need to inspect ships before they dock using coast guard type assets and monitor loading for arms control reasons. Huge ships from abroad docking in a strategically critical city is a massive security risk that the military needs to be involved with to mitigate. And that is implicitly recognized in the agreement - laws of war *already* prohibit Russia from striking non-military targets. The whole point is that Russia can't blast the port to maybe knock out a patrol boat or kill a few soldiers on guard duty.
Posted by: Yenwoda | Jul 23 2022 21:35 utc | 99
Down South @50--
Be careful in the way you introduce things as your long blockquote implies it was something Putin said in a speech when that isn't the case whatsoever.
//////
As for the NYeT media source, it's been compromised for decades, although it does disperse the Establishment Narrative rather well. Any major statistical item it publishes must be assumed to be wrong in some manner and fact checked as b does so well.
The comments to this entry are closed.
You state the truth B!
The NYT states the official narrative.
Posted by: Jpc | Jul 23 2022 10:32 utc | 1