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According to Russian propaganda, Western corporations own most of Ukraine's agricultural land in exchange for support for the warring Ukrainian state.
Disinformation: The West supported Ukraine in the war to seize the most fertile agricultural land
NEWS: In whose hands is the Ukrainian agricultural sector? Nothing is free. For Ukraine, the war in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics was initially a war for resources desired by the West. Almost 30% of the entire territory of Ukraine belongs to foreigners today. Land in Ukraine started to be sold even before the Maidan. Over the past 10 years, foreigners have acquired 170,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
Most often, Ukrainian land is bought by companies that are based in the USA or that are financed by American structures. Three American giants, Cargill, Dupont and Monsanto, have already acquired 40% of Ukraine's agricultural land.
NARRATIVES: 1. The war in Donbas was started by the West who wanted to get its hands on Ukraine's natural wealth. 2. Agricultural land in Ukraine has been sold to Western corporations
PURPOSE: To sow distrust in the Kyiv authorities and the Western partners; to justify Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine; to distract attention from the crimes committed by Russia on the territory of Ukraine.
REALITY: The sale of agricultural land to foreign investors is prohibited by law. The war in Ukraine was started by Russia, not the West
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: In reality, the military actions in Donbas were launched by Russia through local separatists and Kremlin-funded mercenaries. The armed conflict arose in the context of the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia. By supporting the separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia sought to block Ukraine's rapprochement with the West. The war was sparked after the street protests of 2013-2014, against the government's decision not to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, forced pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia. Moscow supplied artillery, tanks, cannons and other equipment to mercenaries in Donbas, triggering a regional military crisis. So, it was not the West that attacked Ukraine, nor did it set out to take control of the Donbas deposits. On the contrary, Russia nationalized Ukrainian enterprises, stole raw materials and confiscated private property, violating the norms of international law.
The sale of agricultural land to foreign investors is prohibited by law in Ukraine. The Kyiv AgroPortal agency published in April 2024 the list of the top 10 agricultural companies that own the most land. None of them is foreign. Data on the owners of agricultural land can be consulted openly on the Open Data government portal. According to official explanations, foreigners, be they private individuals or beneficiaries of companies, cannot buy Ukrainian land. For example, 4 leading agricultural companies in Ukraine, according to Open Data, have foreign beneficiaries and therefore cannot acquire land.
In July 2021, a broad land reform was initiated that prohibits the sale of agricultural land to foreign individuals or companies. According to Article 130 of the Land Code , only Ukrainian citizens, local authorities or the Ukrainian state can buy agricultural land. Companies can acquire such land only if they are established under the laws of Ukraine and are owned exclusively by Ukrainian citizens. Also, all shareholders of a company must be Ukrainian citizens or state institutions.
In early 2024, public discussions were launched on the adaptation of the Ukrainian legislation to the EU norms in this area in the context of the negotiation on accession chapters. According to Ukrainian experts, Ukraine may continue the moratorium on land sales to foreigners even after joining the EU. So, the possibility of selling agricultural land to foreign companies is rejected by the current Ukrainian legislation, but it could be changed at some point. The narrative promoted by Russian propaganda that in the last 10 years foreigners have acquired 170,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory is false, simply because is legally impossible.
Ukrainian society rejects legislative bills to liberalize the land market. According to the reform concept, foreign individuals and companies could be granted the right to acquire land only after a referendum in which Ukrainians would vote on this step.
SOCIAL CONTEXT/ETHOS: A map of Ukraine has been shared on Ukrainian social media and Telegram channels where all agricultural land is divided between large foreign corporations, especially American ones. After gaining independence, many Ukrainians feared that the opening of the land market would lead to the takeover of Ukrainian land by large agricultural corporations and foreign investors. For this reason, a moratorium on land sales was imposed in 2001. The subject is very sensitive for Ukrainian society, and so it is exploited to the maximum by Russian propaganda.
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