Russia has traditionally used the food crisis as a weapon. This is not the first time it has blackmailed the world community with the threat of starvation. Failures on the battlefield in Ukraine led to a new goal of Vladimir Putin – to provoke world hunger and another wave of migration.  That is why Russia uses the “grain agreement” as a lever to influence the political and economic processes in the world.

Despite the prolongation of the “grain agreement”, Russia continues to create conditions for the deepening of the global food crisis. Recall that Ukraine is one of the world’s largest grain suppliers. However, the 2021 crops and products were blocked by the Russian fleet in the storage facilities of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports shortly after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Soon, on July 22, 2022, the signing of the Black Sea Grain Initiative took place in Istanbul, which saved many countries of the world from the looming famine. But now Russia is trying again to provoke food shortage. Despite the fact that the agreement has been prolonged, the Russian authorities insist on reducing the deal to 60 days instead of the 120 previously announced. In addition, the Russian military continues shelling of the cultivated area in Ukraine in order to cause mass famine in the world. Thus, in Ukraine it decreased by 30 % compared to 2021. Therefore, the international community needs to stop the hybrid threat of the Russian Federation in provoking global hunger. The Kremlin is trying to create unbearable conditions for life not only in Ukraine, but also in the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. However, Ukraine, despite military aggression and blackmail from Moscow, is doing everything possible to prevent starvation due to a failure of grain supplies.

The Russian Federation is making a lot of efforts to provoke world hunger and put the blame on Ukraine. The Ukrainian army must receive weapons and ammunition from Western partners on a permanent basis until Vladimir Putin’s hybrid aggression is stopped, and Ukrainian food is freely exported to all corners of the planet.

Russia Wants to Create a Global Food Crisis in the Next Few Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to provoke a world hunger in the next 2-3 years in order to artificially create a global migration crisis. Despite the fact that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, was automatically extended for another 120 days, Russia continues to violate the agreements and makes attempts to withdraw from it.

A few days ago, Moscow confirmed its readiness to extend the grain deal for only 60 days, accusing the West of unwillingness to lift restrictions on Russian agricultural products and fertilizers. Although food exports from Russia were not directly affected by the restrictive measures, Russian authorities said that secondary sanctions on logistics and insurance made it more difficult.

Today, the Grain Initiative still makes it possible to facilitate safe shipping for the export of grain, and related food products and fertilizers from certain Ukrainian seaports to countries in Africa and Asia. At the same time, Russia continues shelling of Ukrainian croplands, deliberately destroying agricultural and transport infrastructure. Therefore, Ukraine this year was no longer able to sow about 7 million hectares of land.

With its missile attacks on Ukraine, Russia creates risks for all food suppliers, and also frightens investors, international insurance companies, thus significantly reducing the export opportunities for agricultural products.

So the Russian authorities are once again lying about the fact that sanctions, and not its war in Ukraine, aggravated the global food crisis.

Because of such actions of the Kremlin, a real threat of famine looms over the countries of Africa and the Middle East. According to the UN, 35 million people from 37 countries are on the verge of starvation, and 339 million people on the planet need humanitarian assistance. Other estimates put more than 120 million people in Africa alone in severe food insecurity.

Russia must immediately stop blackmailing the world with hunger, and allow Ukrainian food to be exported freely.

Source:  AVA.MD