Russia unleashes global food crisis with grain export blockade

Russia unleashes global food crisis with grain export blockade

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says Russia has sparked a “grain war” fueling a global food crisis by blocking grain from Ukraine. “Russia is waging its brutal war not only with tanks, missiles and bombs, but also with another terrible but quieter weapon: hunger and deprivation,” she said Wednesday evening at a United Nations meeting on food security, according to international news agencies.

Russia, Baerbock said, is blocking grain exports by blocking Ukrainian ports and destroying silos, railways and farmers’ fields. David Beasley, head of the UN’s World Food Programme, warned Russia that “Failing to open ports will be a declaration of war on global food security, resulting in famine and forced mass migration.” He addressed Putin: “This is not about Ukraine, but about the very poorest. If you have any heart, open the ports.”

UN chief António Guterres said at the meeting in the United States that global hunger levels have reached “a new high”, with the number of people suffering from severe food shortages doubling in just two years. He said Ukraine and Russia together produce nearly a third of the world’s wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil. “There is no effective solution to the food crisis without Ukraine’s food production.”

Overview: Zelensky promises help to all victims of invasion and Russia closes Canadian broadcaster’s office in Moscow

These are the main developments from Wednesday evening and the night from Wednesday to Thursday:

• The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky In his daily video speech, he promises special aid to all victims of the Russian occupation. This includes “all Kremlin detainees” in Crimea and in the Russian-occupied part of the Donbas, he said. Zelensky says he has signed a special law for this purpose.
• Russia has decided to open the office of the Canadian television channel CBC to close in Moscow. According to CBC, the visas and accreditations of the journalists of the public broadcaster have also been revoked. The shutdown comes in response to Canada’s decision to ban Russian state broadcaster RT (formerly known as Russia Today) from operating in the country. A spokesman for the Russian ministry speaks of “open attacks” on Russian media “from countries of the so-called collective West that call themselves civilized”.
• Turkey, despite an ‘extremely positive’ discussion with the United States, continues to accede Sweden and Finland to NATO block, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said after consultation with his American colleague Anthony Blinken† He said he understood that the two countries wanted to join NATO after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, but again accused Sweden and Finland of supporting Kurdish organizations that Turkey considers terrorist. “We understand their security concerns, but Turkey’s security concerns must also be taken into account.”