By blocking the export of millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain, Russia is committing a war crime, said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
The Spaniard made the statement on the heels of a meeting with European Union (EU) foreign ministers to find ways to ship these crops as a global food crisis looms.
Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers of wheat, but its crops cannot be exported. More than 20 million tonnes have been sitting in silos since Russia launched its invasion and blocked ports in February.
” One cannot imagine that millions of tons of wheat remain blocked in Ukraine when the rest of the world’s population suffers from hunger. It is a real war crime. “
The battle of stories between the West and Russia which blames the sanctions for a worsening of the food crisis and the explosion of the price of food will be at the center of the discussions of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of theEU.
The European sanctions imposed on Russia do not target agricultural products and fertilizers. They can be sold, bought, exportedinsisted Josep Borrell.
By land rather than by sea
The latter also asked Russia to release the crucial Black Sea routes to allow the export of this food.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had already said on June 8 that the ball was in Ukraine’s court. It is up to Russia to demine the approaches to its ports in the Black Sea, according to him, because Moscow has already made the necessary commitments in this matter.
L’EU supports the efforts of theUN to reach an agreement that will resume Ukrainian grain exports in exchange for measures to facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports. Such an agreement, however, requires the green light from Moscow.
Meanwhile, Germany and other states are working to set up overland routes to bring out at least some of last season’s stock still stored in silos as harvest begins.
Germany’s Foreign Minister explained that Berlin is supporting Poland and Romania to adapt their railways to facilitate overland export. It is clear that at the end of the day, we will certainly not be able to get all the grain out. But if we can ship at least some of it by various means, it can help us face this global crisis.said Annalena Baerbock.
In 2021, Kyiv harvested 84 million tonnes of grain, a record far surpassing 2020’s 65 million tonnes.
This year, farmers sowed grains on 14.2 million hectares, while they sowed 16.9 million hectares last year, due to the Russian invasion, estimates the ministry of Agriculture.
Radio Canada
Source: Radio-Canada
