(This article is a part of my new book Flawed Democracy)
In the convoluted narrative surrounding the conflict in Ukraine, the role of mass media in shaping public perception cannot be overstated. Western audiences are often presented with a simplified, distorted version of events that obscures the underlying causes and perpetuates a narrative convenient to vested interests. The portrayal of the war in Ukraine exemplifies how mass media can be wielded as a tool of propaganda, deflecting attention from the true drivers of conflict while amplifying narratives that serve geopolitical agendas.
At the heart of the media’s distortion is a failure to address the systemic exploitation of Ukraine’s resources and the complicity of Western powers in perpetuating instability. The narrative of a noble struggle for democracy against Russian aggression conveniently overlooks the complex web of economic interests that underpin the conflict. By reducing the crisis to a simplistic dichotomy of good versus evil, mass media obscures the role of corporatocracy and kleptocracy in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The plunder of Ukraine’s agricultural land stands as a stark example of this exploitation. With 33 million hectares of arable land, Ukraine boasts some of the most fertile farmland in the world. However, misguided privatization and corrupt governance since the early 1990s have concentrated land in the hands of a new oligarchic class, facilitated by a land reform pushed by Western financial institutions after the Maidan Revolution in 2014.
Large agribusiness firms, many registered overseas in tax havens like Cyprus or Luxembourg, control vast swathes of arable land, while millions of Ukrainian farmers struggle with limited access to resources. Around 4.3 million hectares are under large-scale agriculture, with a significant portion controlled by just a dozen large agribusiness firms. Notable among these firms are Kernel Holding S.A., UkrLandFarming, MHP S.E., Astarta Holding N.V., and Nibulon, each controlling hundreds of thousands of hectares for export-oriented agriculture.
Foreign interests have also played a pivotal role in the land grab. US-based private equity firm NCH Capital, alongside other Western investment funds like Vanguard Group, Kopernik Global Investors, BNP Asset Management Holding, and Norges Bank Investment Management, have heavily invested in Ukrainian land through various holding companies and subsidiaries.
Foreign investments, heavily indebted to Western financial institutions, benefit oligarchs and agribusinesses, exacerbating poverty among local farmers. The Oakland Institute report from 2023, identifies prominent investors like Vanguard Group and Goldman Sachs, highlighting their substantial influence in Ukraine’s agricultural sector.
Western aid, funneled into Ukraine, comes with strings attached: a structural adjustment program demanding austerity measures and privatization of the key sectors of economy. President Zelenskyy’s land market reforms, despite public opposition, facilitate the expansion of foreign agribusinesses, threatening small-scale farmers and food security.
The complicity of European financial institutions cannot be overlooked. Entities like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have been major lenders to Ukrainian agribusinesses by which they are in effect subsidizing the concentration of land and fostering an industrial model of agriculture based on the intensive use of synthetic inputs, fossil fuels, and large-scale monocropping – long shown to be environmentally and socially destructive. Providing close to US$1.7 billion to just six of Ukraine’s largest landholding firms, this debt not only enriches oligarchs and foreign investors but also exerts significant leverage over Ukrainian small farmers.
In December 2022, a collective comprising farmers, scholars, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged the Ukrainian government to halt the implementation of the 2020 land reform law and suspend all land market transactions during both wartime and the subsequent reconstruction phase. The aim is to safeguard the national security and territorial integrity of the nation amidst the ongoing conflict and the post-war recovery period. According to Professor Olena Borodina from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), “At present, numerous rural individuals, including farmers, are actively engaged in the war effort, often making the ultimate sacrifice. They have been stripped of everything they own. The ongoing promotion and liberalization of land sales and acquisitions pose a significant threat to the land rights of Ukrainians, for which they are sacrificing their lives.”
Mass media in the Western world, controlled by American financial institutions, often portrays situations in simplistic black-and-white terms. This distortion of truth not only misleads public perception but also fuels cycles of violence and instability. By perpetuating a narrative of righteous victimhood and external aggression, mass media often absolves Western powers of responsibility for their role in perpetuating conflict and exacerbating humanitarian crises.
In the face of this media manipulation, it falls upon conscientious citizens to seek out alternative sources of information, question prevailing narratives, and demand accountability from those who wield power. Only through a commitment to truth, transparency, and critical engagement can the distortions of mass media be exposed and the path towards genuine peace and justice be charted.