MADRID, 31 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The European Union has accused Russia of using both hunger and food “as weapons” in the war after Moscow decided to break the pact that allows the export of grain from Ukraine and which, according to the European Union, has led to a “significant difference” to alleviate the world food crisis”, for which Russia is “entirely” responsible.
“The European Union condemns Russia’s suspension of the Black Sea Grains Initiative and urges Russia to reverse its decision and immediately resume the implementation of the UN Black Sea Grains Initiative,” said the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, in a statement.
Borrell thus specified that “Russia is solely responsible for the world food security crisis”, while pointing to Moscow for obstructing a pact that has made “a significant difference”, since it has allowed the export of cereals in a context of “world food crisis”, to the countries most in need, including the Horn of Africa.
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative has brought 9,521,645 tons of grain and food products to the world market,” he said, adding that these “deliberate” actions by Moscow, “including the destruction of stocks, the interruption of production and the imposition of quota restrictions on its own food and fertilizer exports, have exacerbated the global food security crisis”.
Likewise, the head of European diplomacy has also said that he “firmly” supports the call of the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, for the extension of the initiative beyond its current period, which ends in November.
Borrell already asked the Russian government on Sunday to reverse this decision to once again allow the export of grain from Ukrainian ports during the war, a pact that Moscow broke after denouncing a “terrorist attack” by kyiv in the Crimean port of Sevastopol against participating ships. in this initiative.
