Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the Kremlin of 'weaponizing food' after halting grain exports to leave Ukrainian ports.
The first U.N.-chartered vessel MV Brave Commander loads grain to export to Ethiopia, in Yuzhne, Ukraine, east of Odesa on the Black Sea coast, on Aug. 14. Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday accused the Kremlin of "weaponizing food" after it announced that it would suspend its participation in an agreement allowing grain exports to leave Ukrainian ports.Saturday after accusing U.K. navy personnel of directing Ukrainian drone attacks on ships in Crimea.
The U.K. denied the allegations, saying the false claims are intended to distract from Russian military failures in Ukraine."In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity,"Saturday, adding that the U.S. urged Russia to resume its participation in the agreement.
President Biden said Saturday that Russia's decision was "purely outrageous" and "going to increase starvation," according to a"Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea deal puts at risks the main export route of much needed grain and fertilisers to address the global food crisis caused by its war against Ukraine," Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief,Zelensky said in a statement"From September to today, 176 vessels have...
"How can Russia be among the G20 if it is deliberately working for starvation on several continents?"