BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
THE SAVAGE war of Vladimir Putin against the peaceful people of Ukraine is the work of a man with ambitions bent on trying to secure his place in Russian history as the leader that restored the false “glory” of the Russian Soviet Union that disintegrated in 1989. There was no “glory” there but oppression, occupation of half of Europe, and a Cold War that threatened nuclear annihilation of the world.
Putin’s massively destructive war, with continuous atrocities and war crimes, is now threatening another form of annihilation- that of millions of people in Africa and the Middle East that depend on Ukrainian wheat, maize, and cooking oil as do other poor nations of the world.
President Putin has blocked the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian cereals and cooking oil from Odessa on the Black Sea. He wants sanctions lifted before he will lift the blockade. In the meantime, evidence has emerged that Russia is stealing Ukrainian grain and shipping it to Crimea and then to Syria. It is a war tactic to starve the world and force the Western nations to lift sanctions while millions go hungry and many die.
Ukraine was exporting 4.5 million tons of agricultural produce per month through its ports on the Black Sea. There are around 20 million tons of grains stockpiled in grain silos and there will be no storage facilities available for this year’s harvest of wheat, barley, and grapeseed. Despite the war and the departure of up to five million Ukrainians, the farmers have continued to plant and soon to reap but nowhere to store it. The sales are needed for national survival.
The Ukrainian train system is still working and is transporting grain non-stop to the border with Europe, hoping to reach the shipping ports of Hamburg and Rotterdam. They cannot transport the huge quantities needed by the hungry world fast enough. Besides, the rail size (gauge) of Ukraine’s railways is bigger than the European’s and how to transfer the of grain to European trains is causing huge backlogs at the European borders. Huge cranes have to lift the Ukrainian train wagons, the under-carriages are removed and replaced with European size wheels, and the wagon, filled with grain, is then lowered on the European track for the train to continue to the port.
Some farmers and exporters are using barges on the rivers to bring grain to Romania. Trucks are being used also but the drivers need special permits and licenses and travel documents that take a week to process. All this is under the threat of Russian air strikes.
Putin tried to capture the whole of Ukraine but has failed spectacularly due to incompetence, callous disregard for human life, and the powerful resistance of the Ukrainian people and army and air force. Even though they are outnumbered three-to-one, the Ukrainians are fighting back bravely and have won back an important city and territory from the advancing Russian juggernaut army that is using brute force and poor tactics. (To be continued)/PN
