WANGELS (dpa-AFX) – The G7 group of leading democratic industrial nations wants to ensure that Ukraine can remain a major grain exporter despite the Russian war of aggression. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) said on Thursday at the start of consultations with colleagues from the other G7 countries in Weienhuser Strand that they were discussing how to unblock the grain blockade currently being imposed by Russia and how to bring Ukrainian grain into the world the Baltic Sea. Because of the war, 25 million tons of grain are currently blocked in Ukrainian ports, especially in Odessa.
The grain is urgently needed in African countries and the Middle East, said Baerbock. A food crisis is brewing in the sky, which will be exacerbated by the global climate impact.
Ukraine is one of the world’s most important grain suppliers. In 2021, according to figures from the UN World Food Organization, it was the third largest exporter of barley and the fifth largest exporter of wheat./bk/aha/DP/jha