The reason for global food crisis is blocking of ports by Russia, not sanctions against it
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says the West must not give in to Russian pressure to ease sanctions to restart the flow of agricultural exports.
Russia has proposed to lift its months-long occupation of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports to restore regular movement of grain and other products, such as corn and barley — items poorer countries in northern Africa, Asia, and the Middle East depend on.
Shmyhal told CTV News Channel’s Power Play that such actions would only help fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine. “While the war in Ukraine is continuing, it’s impossible to stop the sanctions because sanctions stop fulfilling the Russian budget, from which they are financing terrorism and war atrocities here,” he alleged during the interview.
There are approximately 22 million tonnes of grain sitting in silos in Ukraine, and time is running out to ship it before the country’s new harvest is ready. Since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has had to rely on less efficient land transportation to move its agricultural produce.
