Food crisis | Germany accuses Russia of holding the ‘world hostage’

(Berlin) Germany on Friday accused Russia of taking “the whole world hostage” by using hunger “as a weapon of war”, during a conference in Berlin aimed at finding “solutions” to the food crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

Entitled “Unite for global food security”, this conference is held before the G7 leaders’ summit, organized in Bavaria from Sunday.

Ministers from 40 states are taking part, including the United States and countries hard hit by the crisis, such as Nigeria, Tunisia and Indonesia.

Moscow uses hunger “deliberately as a weapon of war” and takes “the whole world hostage”, denounced German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, warning of a real “tsunami” of hunger that could hit some country.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the blockade of Black Sea ports, is driving up food prices and contributing to the global spike in inflation.

The conference aims to “provide solutions”, such as accelerating food exports from Ukraine through alternative routes to the Black Sea, she explained.

The exchanges also focus on increasing aid to the most affected countries, although the event is not presented as a donors’ conference.

Russia, for its part, denies having blocked the passage of cargo ships and accuses Western sanctions of contributing to the food crisis.

An argument that does not hold, replied the head of American diplomacy.

“Since the first day we imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, we have excluded from these sanctions food products, fertilizers and everything related to their delivery”, replied Anthony Blinken during a meeting. an evening press conference.

“Russia exported about as much wheat as the previous year, so the Russian narrative that G7 sanctions are the reason for rising global food prices is completely unfounded,” Ms.^me Baerbock earlier today.

According to the environmental minister, Russia can “let the grain out through Odessa or simply stop this war, but we are racking our brains to find alternative routes”, she added.

These alternative routes could go through Poland, but “we have the problem of changing lanes [ferroviaires, NDLR]which takes longer,” explained Mr.^me Baerbock.

“This is why we have chosen the route above all via Romania, because we can intensify river navigation there”, she continued.

Turkey, for its part, is trying to allow the resumption of grain deliveries via the Black Sea. Quadripartite grain talks between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations could be held in Turkey “in the coming weeks”, according to the Turkish Defense Ministry.