The Essence of the Claim and Its True Function
The assertion that the global food crisis is allegedly caused by sanctions against Russia or Ukrainian actions is a typical example of reversing cause and effect. Its purpose is to remove responsibility from the state that launched a full-scale war and shift the consequences of aggression onto external factors.
This narrative is primarily aimed at Global South countries and is used as a tool of political pressure: Russia seeks to present itself as a victim of a 'Western economic blockade' while ignoring that its military actions destroyed one of the world's key centers of grain production and export.
How the Manipulation Works
The propaganda construct relies on several recurring techniques:
- mechanical linking of "sanctions" and "hunger" without proven causal connection;
- emotional role reversal: the aggressor is positioned as a "guarantor of food security";
- ignoring military factors — blockade of ports, attacks on infrastructure, mining of fields;
- use of selective data and out-of-context quotes.
Actual Causes of the Food Crisis
According to FAO, WFP, and UNCTAD, the key factors of the crisis are Russian actions:
- complete blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports since February 2022;
- destruction of port infrastructure in Odessa, Mykolaiv, and the Danube region;
- occupation and mining of millions of hectares of farmland;
- seizure of grain from occupied territories, classified as looting.
Facts and Law: Why the "Sanctions Blame" Myth Does Not Hold
The central claim of Russian propaganda — that EU and US sanctions caused the global food crisis — contradicts official documents, international organization data, and international law norms.
The EU, the US, and the UN officially confirm: sanctions regimes do not cover food, grain, or fertilizers. Moreover, they explicitly provide humanitarian exceptions for financial, insurance, and logistics operations related to food deliveries.
This is recorded in explanations from the European Commission, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and public statements by the UN Secretary-General. Therefore, attempts to link sanctions to hunger are deliberate disinformation.
A clear refutation of the myth was the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative (July 2022 – July 2023). During its operation, over 33 million tons of grain were exported from Ukrainian ports, a significant portion to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Sanction policies remained unchanged during this time.
After Russia unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, missile and drone attacks on port infrastructure in Odessa, Chornomorsk, Reni, and Izmail followed. This immediately led to global grain price increases and insurance rate spikes. The causal link is clear: when Russia stops attacks — food reaches the market; when it resumes — shortages occur.
From a legal standpoint, Russia's actions violate the Geneva Conventions , including prohibitions on destruction of objects necessary for civilian survival, as well as customary international humanitarian law prohibiting the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Additionally, occupying powers have duties to ensure food for populations in occupied territories.
The blockade of ports, destruction of agricultural infrastructure, and seizure of grain from occupied territories qualify as war crimes. This legal reality is precisely what the propaganda narrative of "sanctions blame" seeks to conceal.
Spreading this myth serves several purposes: divert international attention from Russia's responsibility, weaken support for Ukraine, undermine trust in international institutions among Global South countries, and legitimize food-related coercion as an allegedly "objective reaction".
Facts, UN data, and international law norms are unequivocal: the global food crisis is a direct consequence of Russian military aggression, not sanctions or Ukrainian actions. The source of the problem is Moscow's actions — and that is where legal and moral responsibility lies.
Main Sources and References
About the Authors
This article was curated and verified by a team of experts in international law, human rights, and geopolitical analysis. Contributors have 15+ years of experience in research, legal documentation, and educational content development.
Methodology
The content on this site is compiled and verified by experts in international law, human rights, and geopolitical research. Sources include official legal documents, national and international legislation, resolutions of the UN, reports from international organizations, and verified open-source evidence. Each claim is cross-checked against multiple primary and secondary sources, ensuring accuracy, neutrality, and reliability regardless of the topic—whether analyzing violations of Russian law, Ukrainian law, or international legal norms.
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Last modified date: 25/11/2025