NY. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, accused the Russian authorities of “blackmail” on Thursday for their recent withdrawal from the agreement to export Ukrainian cereals, at the UN Security Council.
The head of US diplomacy, who is chairing a meeting on food insecurity at the UN headquarters in New York, told the 15 members of the highest United Nations body for guaranteeing peace in the world, that “hunger does not must become a weapon” of war.
He also accused Russia of provoking an “assault” on the world food system following its invasion of Ukraine in February last year and its withdrawal in July from the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed the export of Ukrainian cereals for the last year.
The Russian authorities refused to extend the agreement, which is having an impact on the increase in food prices, which affects the most disadvantaged countries above all.
“Every member of this Council, every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow enough, enough of using the Black Sea as blackmail,” said Blinken, whose country chairs the Security Council this month.
“Enough of using the most vulnerable population on the planet. Enough of this unjustified and excessive war,” he urged.
The agreement, signed in July 2022 and backed by the UN and Turkey, which acted as a facilitator between Ukraine and Russia, allowed the sale of Ukrainian grain despite the war.
Moscow is demanding guarantees on another deal for its own exports, particularly fertilizers and agricultural products.
Russian drones damaged a Ukrainian port on the Danube on Wednesday, in a new attack by Moscow against vital facilities for the departure of grain from Ukraine.
Blinken said grain prices have risen more than eight percent worldwide since the end of the deal.
Washington intends to release a “joint statement condemning the use of food as a weapon of war” adopted on the sidelines of the meeting, which 91 countries have already signed, Blinken told ABC News.
Blinken also announced 362 million dollars to finance programs to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in a dozen African countries and Haiti.
Some 345 million people in 79 countries suffer from acute food insecurity.
In addition to armed conflicts, the effects of climate change contribute to hunger in many of these countries.
