Russia has launched attacks on a Ukrainian grain port. The attacks are likely in retaliation for Ukraine’s alleged bombing of the Kerch Bridge which links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.

The attacks happened after Moscow pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal on July 17 that allowed Ukraine to export grain and other food products by sea, despite a naval blockade.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan describes how he thinks Russia’s decision to withdraw from the grain deal will likely spark “widespread food shortages, price increases, and famine.”

Excerpted from Peter’s July 18 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

Russia announced on Monday that the Black Sea grain deal will not be extended. This initiative has enabled Ukraine to export agricultural products through Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea; however, Ukrainian exports are only at a fraction of pre-war levels.

The termination of the grain deal should sound alarm bells for everyone. As one of the world’s largest grain exporters, Ukraine has played a vital role in feeding the world’s population. With exports already limited, the end of this deal will likely spark widespread shortages, price increases, and famine.

So why did Russia terminate the deal? Reports from the Kremlin state that not all conditions outlined in the deal had been met, so the agreement ceased to be valid. Admittedly, I’m a bit surprised that the intermittent coordination between Kyiv and Moscow lasted this long… and that’s before we even look at the Kerch Strait Bridge being attacked (again) on the eve of this deal’s expiration date.