Faced with the risks of food insecurity or even famine that the war in Ukraine poses for certain countries, particularly in Africa, Russia plays appeasement. At least, at first glance: Russia wants to obtain in exchange for an export of grain, the relaxation of sanctions.
Vladimir Putin thus called on Tuesday night to lift Western restrictions on Russian cereals, to obtain progress in the export of Ukrainian agricultural production, currently blocked in the country due to the Kremlin offensive.
“We had agreed from the beginning on this point with international organizations. But no one took responsibility for ending all of this, including our American partners,” he continued, pointing a finger at the West.
The example of fertilizers
“The Americans have lifted restrictions on deliveries of Russian fertilizers to the world market, in practice,” Putin said. According to several US media, the United States has pressured international trading companies to increase their supplies of Russian fertilizers, despite official sanctions still in place. All to boost agricultural production.
Hours earlier, the head of the Kremlin mentioned progress in the negotiations for the export of cereals from Ukraine through the Black Sea and thanked his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his “mediation” in this file. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that a “final document” to allow the export of grain from Ukraine would be ready shortly.
Asked by France 2 this Wednesday morning, the French Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Marc Fesneau, explained the intention of the French executive not to give in to Moscow’s threats.
Ukraine is one of the main producers of wheat, corn and sunflower. Between 20 and 25 million tons are trapped in the country, and the figure could triple in the autumn, before these stocks, hampered by the blockade of the Black Sea ports, and in particular Odessa, end up rotting if nothing is done. any.
Source: BFM TV
