By Gwynne Dyer – Would Vladimir Putin’s Russia have invaded Ukraine three weeks ago if it had 1,900 nuclear warheads on 176 ICBMs and 2,600 tactical nuclear weapons?
Brazil has called for fertilizers to be excluded from the list of sanctions currently imposed as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing fighting. Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Costa Dias addressing a virtual meeting of peers from countries of the Americas, including the United States, pointed out limiting or banning fertilizer trade has a direct impact on farming productivity, food availability, boosts food prices and threatens food security, mainly among the most vulnerable countries.
The Russian Navy is blocking grain-laden vessels from leaving the Black Sea after having loaded in Ukrainian ports, according to BayWa, Germany's largest grain trader which is involved with cereals trade in central Europe. Meanwhile, the IMO is calling for “blue corridors” to allow merchant vessels to sail without incidents.
Argentine opposition Congressman Mario Negri wants Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski to deliver a message to Parliament as he did before western powers legislatures.
A Fox News cameraman with a vast experience covering armed conflicts and a Ukrainian reporter have died in an attack near Kyiv, while a correspondent for the network was also wounded in the incident, it was announced Tuesday.
France and Spain have requested the European Union to loosen up its requirements for the import of cereals given the current impact the war in Ukraine is having on the price of food globally, it was reported.
Argentina's inflation for the month of February of 2022 has reached 4.7% on average, the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) announced Tuesday. It was the highest percentage since March of last year and was driven chiefly by increases in the price of food due to droughts, heatwaves, and fires.
Weeks into a military conflict with the Russian Federation, the Parliament of Ukraine has announced it would up its defense spending following a £ 1.7 billion loan from the United Kingdom, it was reported.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is planning to invest an initial sum of US$250 million for the production of fertilizers in the country. USDA said the goal is the reduction of input costs, which have been strongly affected by the sanctions imposed on Russia, (a leading global supplier) and stimulate competition in the US.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s Director of Law and Policy, Helen Durham, Monday issued a statement saying the body was 'alarmed' by the threats the world is facing amid escalating violence in Ukraine involving the Russian Federation's military forces, which could lead to a nuclear confrontation with western powers.