The Kremlin's new "special operation": Putin and Lukashenko are blackmailing the world

Russian President Vladimir Putin in the TV program "Moscow. The Kremlin called "a bluff a statement that Russia is blocking the export of Ukrainian grain."
According to the Russian ruler, Ukraine can export grain through the ports of Nikolaev and Odessa, but for that it must demine its approaches.
"We will not use the demining situation for any attacks from the sea," Putin said.
He did say that, but everyone understands that it is not about demining the port, but about the presence of the Russian navy in the Black Sea, which endangers peaceful navigation. And no one from the Kremlin will return Russian ships to bases.
The Russian president himself understands that. That is why he immediately proposed alternative ways of exporting Ukrainian grain - through Hungary, Romania or Poland, and even through the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, which were occupied by Moscow. But the easiest way out is through Belarus. However, that requires the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country due to Alexander Lukashenko's complicity in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
 The fact that Vladimir Putin considers the Belarusian route the easiest reminds of the plan that the Belarusian ruler presented in the dialogue with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Mr Lukashenko also offered his services in transporting Ukrainian grain, but noted that the Baltic ports to which the grain would be exported via Belarus should be available for Belarusian goods.
The war is not over, and Putin and Lukashenko have already considered a hybrid lifting of sanctions. The Kremlin understands that it is unlikely that the West will agree to lift sanctions on Russia itself - especially after the crimes of the Russian army in Bucha and Mariupol.
And they offer a "middle" option - lifting sanctions on Lukashenko on the basis of overcoming the crisis in the supply of defense products. And Russia knows well how to use the Belarusian "window" to overcome the pressure of sanctions.
Thus, the blackmail by starvation takes on the characteristics of Putin's new "special operation". The Russian president gives additional arguments to the lobbyists of his interests in the West, at least for the lifting of sanctions against Belarus. The alternative is famine, rebellion, the fall of governments, a new migration crisis in Europe. A real horror!
Kyiv, of course, will never accept the Russian president's argument that Ukraine itself does not want to export its grain. However, Ukrainian leaders are also talking about the global scale of the future crisis - because Ukraine is interested in exporting grain, helping its farmers to earn money for the budget. And the leaders of many countries in the world agree with this assessment. If they do not make efforts to overcome the consequences of a possible crisis, they will be accused of underestimating the situation.
So, there is a real consensus on the need to export Ukrainian grain and help millions of people who may suffer from hunger. It is important that the main winners in this crisis are not Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.