Putin's War - Global Food Catastrophe Looming

[naomi24]

//Hundreds of millions of people are "marching to starvation" after Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine unleashed the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War, the head of the UN’s World Food Programme has warned….Mr Putin has prevented shipments from leaving Ukrainian ports, while Western officials say his army has deliberately destroyed agricultural equipment and harvest stores.... Meanwhile David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation’s special envoy, said 1.7bn people across 94 countries are at risk of severe hunger as food prices surge.//

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/05/23/millions-marching-starvation-putin-unleashes-global-food-catastrophe/

Somehow this puts that hysterical outrage over a glass of wine into perspective … wouldn't you say?

[dannyk13]

Fatticusinch. This OP is about a Global Food shortage, not about 'partygate'.Please stick to posts about the OP.

[naomi24]

The bottom line here is that Putin is doing something he knows, without doubt, is having a severe impact on the whole world. He is willing to starve millions. Some vanity project!

[ichkeria]

It is blackmail: if the west refuses to ease the sanctions he will try to claim that it is the west that is responsible.
He wants to divide us.
He must not succeed.

[davebro]

Just watched 2 programs back to back - human skeletons queueing at soup kitchens in Holland for a billycan of gruel near the end of WW2 & a woman today in the UK "struggling to feed her family" who was at least 50% overweight & exiting a food bank with a shopping trolley fully laden with an array of foods & household items. Just saying.

[FatticusInch]

Dannyk13, I suggest you take a look at the OP but especially the last sentence below the link.
Take your time.

[ichkeria]

The "glass of wine" reference (which I didn't actually understand at the time) is an afterthought, surely,
This is a question about Russia's war on the world (which it is).

[FatticusInch]

The vanity project is Putin attempting to resurrect the former USSR.

[naomi24]

//The "glass of wine" reference (which I didn't actually understand at the time) is an afterthought, surely,//

Indeed. Merely a musing. I feel much the same about the fuss made over the Wagatha Christie thing. So much of such importance in this affluent and comfortable country of ours!!

[Ellipsis]

Two mendacious, corrupt and vain leaders ...

One lies to wage a war that leads to starvation. The other lies because he likes a party culture and cake, and for who knows what other reasons.

Boris is fantastic as a leader when compared to Putin, but that's not saying much. Our country needs a better leader (a better Tory leader at this point in time) than Boris. He is a featherweight of a leader when compared to, say, Thatcher. And we shouldn't let Putin put us off the fact that we're led by somebody who isn't good enough for the job. Putin is very important, but so is the quality of our own leader.

[naomi24]

^This isn't about our government or our leader. Crikey, it's hard work around here!

[Paul22118]

My feeling on this thread is that the West might have failed to understand Putin's actions fully. With the FS saying we must help exports from Odessa in the Black Sea, I fully agree. BUT, she must see the psychology behind Putin in that he thinks he owns the Black Sea and the Black Sea - all of it - is Russian. Herein lies a big problem which could escalate to a Ukraine on the high seas.

[Ellipsis]

> This isn't about our government or our leader.

Look at the actual question you asked. I answered it.

[ichkeria]

Putin is trying to strangle Ukraine: that is why I don't believe he will try to declare a quick "victory" as some fear, and play the "man of peace", because he is still a long way off cutting Ukraine off from the sea - by trying to hold Snake Island near the moth of the Danube he is trying to reinforce is contril over Ukraine shipping.
In any case, he has gone to far for anyone ever to trust anything he says again.
We should absolutely send a naval escort. This is not like a "no fly zone": they would be protecting merchant vessels, not on the look out for incursions into air space.
It would be difficult: there is still the risk of a showdown, but we have to show a bit of an iron fist or what is the point in having a navy at all. And we would need Turkey to agree to re-open the Bosphorus to naval vessels.

[Khandro]

ichi: Entering the Black Sea ain't that easy;
https://www.thebulwark.com/why-nato-cant-move-into-the-black-sea-and-save-odessa/

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, I've looked at the question I asked - and it isn't about our government or our leader.

[sandra4444]

I thought everyone already knew that part of Putin's plan was to destroy the Ukrainian economy and in doing so creating food hardship / shortage for billions of other people.

This puts him in a position of strength, hence the blockade. Russia have already offered a lifting of the blockade in return for lifting sanctions.

But of course this OP seems to be looking for another diversion away from our lying PM.

You really only have to look at Boris, and the way he presents himself to know he is a big boozer.

[ichkeria]

"This puts him in a position of strength, hence the blockade. Russia have already offered a lifting of the blockade in return for lifting sanctions. "

Putin is not, actually, in a position of strength in this regard in less we let him be. There is no chance of sanctions being ewased over this, none at all.
As for Khandro's link, there's nothing on that argument that goes beyond the difficulties I have already outlined. The "Montreux Convention" will count for nothing as it is in the interests of all those signatories to stop russia turning the Black Sea into its own private reservoir

[dannyk13]

ich// The "Montreux Convention" will count for nothing //
That is not the impression given by the link.

[ichkeria]

I know.

[ichkeria]

Turkey controls access to the Black Sea: it was Turkey which invoked the convention, as we know, in the first place, and as I explained above, it will be Turkey that decides if any warships can enter in future. Other than that, it is in everyone else's interests for russia not to use it as a private lake

https://www.mei.edu/publications/russia-violating-spirit-montreux-using-civilian-ships-war