Day 159 Roundup: First Odesa Grain Export Since Start of War

    Image copyright: Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutors Office [via The Telegraph]

    The Facts

    • A ship carrying 26k tons of corn left Odesa for Sierra Leone on Mon. - the first grain shipment from the major port since the war began. News also emerged on Mon. that Ukrainian authorities now allege that Russian missiles targeted the home of Oleksiy Vadatursky, a grain merchant and one of Ukraine's richest men.

    • UK foreign sec. Liz Truss called the export an "important first step" in resuming grain shipments while warning Moscow not to "weaponize global food supplies."


    The Spin

    Pro-establishment narrative

    Making sure Ukraine continues to be well-armed is the only way to fend off Putin and Russia in this unprovoked war of aggression. The US and NATO must not simply offer up their latest and most hi-tech weapons however; combat is about supply lines and the West must ensure basic equipment and ammunition are kept flowing as needed.

    Establishment-critical narrative

    Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The US has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical Ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.


    Metaculus Prediction


    Establishment split

    CRITICAL

    PRO

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