Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports, as it withdrew from a UN-Turkey-brokered deal in July, is “scandalous and must end,” the president of the European Council said this Friday.
“It is frankly scandalous that Russia, having put an end to the Black Sea grain initiative, is blockading and attacking Ukrainian seaports. This must be stopped,” Charles Michel said.
Russia withdrew from an agreement allowing safe grain exports from Ukraine, one of the world’s largest producers, after saying the agreement fell short of its goal of alleviating hunger in Africa.
Since then, the Kremlin has been asking Turkey to help Russia export grains to African countries, especially earlier in the week during talks between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in southern Russia.
“The Kremlin’s proposal to provide Africa with a million tons of grain is absolutely cynical,” Charles Michel told reporters in New Delhi on the eve of the G20 summit.
Ukraine and Russia are major grain exporters. Last year’s agreement helped lower world food prices and provided Ukraine with an important source of revenue for its war effort.
“Ships carrying grain should be able to enter the Black Sea in complete safety,” Michel stressed, adding that the UN initiative initially allowed the delivery of 32 million tons, “in particular, to developing countries.”
Putin stated that “of the 32.8 million tons exported from Ukraine, more than 70% ended up in rich countries, mainly in the European Union”, while the most needy countries received only 3% of the grain that left through Ukrainian ports, or this. “less than a million tons”.
After withdrawing from the grain deal, Russia stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian river ports on the Danube in the Odessa region, which Ukraine used to export grain.
“More than 250 million people around the world face serious food insecurity, and by deliberately attacking Ukrainian seaports, the Kremlin is depriving them of the food they desperately need,” Michel said.
Putin will not attend the G20 bloc summit in India and does not even plan to send a video message due to tense relations between Moscow and many members of the bloc following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will replace Putin at the summit this weekend.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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