BRUSSELS: The European Union (EU) has warned developing nations that Moscow is offering cheap grain “to create new dependencies by aggravating economic vulnerabilities and international food insecurity,” Reuters reported on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote a letter to developing and Group of 20 nations on Monday to ask them to speak “with a clear and unified voice” to push Russia to return to an agreement that permitted the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain and to prevent targeting Ukrainian agricultural infrastructure.
Moscow Wants to Create New Dependencies with Cheap Grain: EU
The Black Sea agreement was brokered in July 2022 by Ankara and the UN to help ease international food crisis after Russia’s invasion of Kyiv. After Moscow quit last month it started targeting Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube River and international grain prices increased.
“As the globe deals with disrupted supplies and higher prices of foods, Moscow is now approaching vulnerable nations with bilateral offers of grain consignments at discounted charges, pretending to address a problem it created itself,” Josep Borrell added.
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He claimed that this was a cynical policy of intentionally exploiting food as a weapon to create new dependencies by aggravating economic vulnerabilities and international food insecurity.
Earlier, Russian President Putin told African leaders that his country was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and help basis to fulfil Russia’s critical role in international food security.
In a statement, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy also claimed that Russia’s assaults on port infrastructure demonstrated Russians were intent on creating international catastrophe,” with a crisis in food markets, supplies and prices.
In his video address, he said, “For Russians, this is not just a war against our freedom and against our nation,”.
He added Russia is waging a battle for international catastrophe. President Zelenskiy said in Russians madness, they also need international food markets to downfall, Moscow needs a price crisis, they need disturbances in supplies.”
Over the matter, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also made a phone call to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, urging him not to further escalate tensions in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The call comes after Moscow struck facilities vital for grain shipments from Ukraine, which has disrupted the grain trade in the region.
