Russia heavily shells residential areas in eastern Ukraine
PBS NewsHourDec 26, 2022
Day 172: First Ship Carrying Ukraine Wheat Arrives in Istanbul
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Image copyright: International Maritime Organization [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
The first ship carrying around 3k metric tons of wheat to be exported to Africa under a UN-backed deal arrived in Istanbul on Sunday, after leaving Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk on Friday.
This comes as a UN-chartered ship loaded with 23k metric tons of grain set sail for Ethiopia on Sunday. It's scheduled to sail to Djibouti, where the grain will be unloaded and then taken to Ethiopia under the World Food Program initiative.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
Pro-Russia narrative
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
Narrative C
A global food crisis was already exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Russia's war on Ukraine only made matters worse. With Ukraine being the world's fifth largest exporter of grain – reportedly making up 40% of the World Food Programme's wheat stock – the resumption of its exports is a welcomed relief. However, the only way to abate the global food crisis is to end the war.
