Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian seaports, which makes it impossible to export grain and other foodstuffs, could lead to global famine. This was reported by Ukrinform .
“This war has long since turned into a global crisis, and Russia has consciously decided to turn the war against Ukraine into a grain war and spread it to many countries,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbok. According to her, up to 50 million people, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, may die in the coming months due to food shortages, as millions of tons of grain cannot be exported from Ukrainian ports due to their blockade by Russia. Food prices are rising all over the world, creating a “threat of severe famine.”
The German politician stressed that this situation is not a side effect, but a deliberately chosen tool of the hybrid war waged by Russia, hoping to split the world community. This uses mass disinformation, one of the narratives of which is that the world’s grain shortage is the result of Western sanctions. Burbock urged not to believe this, as there are no sanctions against food, medicine or humanitarian aid.
“This is the war of the Russian president. But we have a shared global responsibility, “she said.
According to the Foreign Minister, the G7 plays a central role in preventing the global consequences of this war. At the same time, we must be prepared that the fight against this global crisis will be a “long-distance race.”
Following the meeting, the G7 foreign ministers adopted a separate statement on global food security following the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. They expressed hope for the support of the UN Global Crisis Response Group, the Global Food Security Alliance to address the issue. Ministers also decided to set up a rapid crisis response mechanism to protect the most vulnerable in developing countries.
As reported, the blockade of Ukrainian seaports did not allow 7 million tons of wheat, 14 million tons of corn grain, 3 million tons of sunflower oil and 3 million tons of sunflower meal and other crops to enter the world market. This has already led to a record rise in world market prices and will inevitably result in a global food crisis and rising inflation.