NATO Breaks – Poland Will No Longer Arm Ukraine

September 21, 2023 — bunkerville

Is this the beginning of the end of the support for Ukraine? Apparently Zelensky is running out of willing participants ready to accept Ukraine’s cheap wheat that is flooding their countries. Add a couple of elections coming up for these countries, Zelensky holding out his cup, has found unwilling participants.

Here we go:

The dam is breaking on unified Western support for Ukraine, and the timing couldn’t be worse for Zelensky, given tomorrow he’s expected to meet with President Biden at the White House. On Wednesday evening there is monumental news out of Poland which could potentially change the entire course of the war.

“Poland will no longer arm Ukraine to focus on its own defense,” Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced just hours after Warsaw summoned Ukraine’s ambassador related to a fresh war of words and spat over blocked grain, according to the AFP. Warsaw has throughout more than a year-and-a-half of the Ukraine-Russia war been Kiev’s staunchest and most outspoken supporter.

Will this massive and hugely significant about-face mark the beginning of the end? Are peace negotiations and ceding of territory in the Donbas inevitable at this point? 

Within the last 48 hours relations between Poland and Ukraine quickly spiraled to their lowest point since the Russian invasion, and it is directly related to Warsaw leading a handful of EU countries to extend a grain export ban on Ukraine, amid continuing anger and outrage from Polish farmers who are suffering due to their country being flooded with cheap Ukrainian wheat.

Crucially, Poland will hold parliamentary elections on Oct.15. The prior atmosphere of enthusiastic pro-Kiev rhetoric has drastically changed, now with comparisons likening Ukraine to a “drowning man”. As The Associated Press explains:

Polish leaders have compared Ukraine to a drowning person hurting his helper and threatened to expand a ban on food products from the war-torn country. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that EU allies that are prohibiting imports of his nation’s grain are helping Russia.

Now, Polish officials, who are trying to win parliamentary elections next month with help from farmers’ votes, are expressing dismay over some of Ukraine’s latest moves, including a World Trade Organization complaint over bans on Ukrainian grain from Poland and two other EU countries.

GENEVA (AP) — Ukraine is filing a complaint at the World Trade Organization against Hungary, Poland and Slovakia after they banned grain and other food products coming from the war-torn country, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Tuesday.

It heightens a political showdown pitting farmer against farmer and widens a rift between Ukraine, a major global food supplier, and three members of the European Union, which has been a pivotal backer of Kyiv as it works to fight off Russia’s invasion.

In a break with the wider EU, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia last week announced bans on imports of Ukrainian food to their local markets. They were joined Tuesday by Croatia. But all four will keep allowing those products to move through their borders to parts of the world where people are going hungry.

Read more

NATO Nation Poland Threatens Ukraine Amid Russia’s War; ‘Will Stop Sending Weapons’

And what has Zelensky been doing with our money?

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Then add to grifters who are circling …ready to do a Haiti 2.0

Haiti has been a honey pot of gold for the Clinton machine and their friends. Beginning with her brother and ending with one in prison.  Now they look toward Ukraine.

and the last straw for Bunk here?

Yes, time for an exit.

The best of the swamp.

Posted in Foreign Policy. Tags: , , , . 33 Comments »

U.S. wants more purchases of Russian Fertilizer as Commodities prices Soar

June 15, 2022 — bunkerville

So how are things working out with our Ukraine adventure? Sure sounds like Russia is making out just fine. Three months into this war, Ukraine is ravaged. Russia controls major parts of E. Ukraine. Russia’s oil profits are higher than ever. Ruble is strong. Much of the world rejected US/NATO policy. Billions in US funds: gone, who knows where. Untraced weapons are flooding the region.

We sure are teaching the Russian oligarchs a lesson now  aren’t we? Snagging all of those big boats. A couple of their big mansions. It is working swell. By the way, all of these food processing plants biting the dust by fire? Anyone wonder if there could be any cause and effect? Just thinking out loud.

And now? A looming food shortage on the horizon. Not to worry, the Biden savants have a plan. Buy more Russian fertilizer. Yes.

The US wants companies to buy Russian fertilizer as agricultural commodities markets spiral and a global food crisis looms: report

Wheat Fields

The US wants companies to ramp up purchases of Russian fertilizer as global food costs rise and shortages loom, according to a Monday Bloomberg report.

The EU and the US have built exemptions into their restrictions on doing business with Russia to allow trade in fertilizer, of which Moscow is a key global supplier. But many shippers, banks and insurers have been staying away from the trade out of fear they could inadvertently fall afoul of the rules. Russian fertilizer exports are down 24% this year. US officials, surprised by the extent of the caution, are in the seemingly paradoxical position of looking for ways to boost them.

Sources told Bloomberg that the government is quietly pushing companies to buy and carry more Russian fertilizer. Sanctions fears have created a supply shortage and have fueled a global food crisis, and the US is moving to alleviate pressure with the United Nations by boosting  deliveries of fertilizer, grain, and other supplies from Russia.

This year, Russian fertilizer exports have dropped 24%, per Bloomberg data. Russia and Ukraine together account for a quarter of global grains trade.

According to Russia’s Grain Union, wheat exports doubled in May. At the same time, Bloomberg reports that over 25 million tons of grain, sunflower oil, and other goods are stuck in Ukraine due to security concerns.

Read more

Breadbasket to the World

Russia and Ukraine account for a quarter of global grains trade

Source: International Grains Council

And will the U.S. be able to pitch in and help out with the shortage of grain and  energy? Not so much. Actually the U.S. is burning up its food supply in order to keep our massive amount of energy resources in the ground.

Biden Mandates Increased Ethanol in Gas – Raises Corn Prices by 30 Percent

June 7, 2022 — bunkerville

Smart. Burning your food to make “renewable” fuels that will raise the price of corn by 30 percent when there is a looming food shortage. Better, it will requirer more fertilizer which is in short supply and that price too is soaring. Best? Probably put smaller refineries out of business. And the coup de grace? Causes engine wear and damages your car. All this to force the issue of EV’s.

The EPA, after gathering comments since releasing it proposed blending requirements in December, said Friday it will require refiners to blend 20.77 billion gallons of ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable fuel this year.

Additionally, the oil industry must blend 250 million more gallons of renewable fuel, both this year and next, after a federal court found the Obama administration inappropriately reduced the 2016 blending requirements.

The agency also denied roughly 70 exemptions for small refineries, many of which had been granted under former President Donald Trump.

Everything just fine in the swamp today.

BONUS: 

Posted in Energy. Tags: , , , , . 24 Comments »