G7 Summit | Canada wants to prevent Ukrainian grain from rotting in ports

(Krün) Canada has pledged $50 million to keep Ukrainian grain from rotting in ports blocked by Russia.

The money will go into a G7 fund “to help Ukrainian farmers restart their production, feed people and export their crops, and to help Ukraine store more grain”, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Canada has valuable experience in grain storage. The knowledge and experience of our farmers will be very useful. We will continue to work with partners to support Ukraine and alleviate the global food security crisis,” he wrote on Twitter.

Justin Trudeau also wants to work with the other members of the G7 to adopt measures aimed at curbing the famine caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The repercussions of the current Russian offensive dominated discussions during the first day of the G7 Summit in Germany.

These issues were high on Canada’s agenda at the Commonwealth meeting and are expected to be on the agenda for the next NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, which opens on Wednesday.

A global grain shortage threatens to plunge large parts of Africa into famine. Trudeau and his G7 counterparts blamed the Russians for targeting Ukrainian grain elevators and blockading the country’s major ports.

During their first meeting, the leaders turned their attention to the global economy affected by the conflict which has driven up the prices of essential goods around the world.

Canada promised to send equipment to help Ukraine store its grain harvest and help bring it to market.

This aid will include the sending of mobile silos, indicated the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, during an interview she gave to Canada.

Last week, the port of Mykolaiv, where the vegetable oil storage facilities of the Canadian-Dutch company Viterra are located, was targeted by Russian missiles.

“This vegetable oil is for human consumption,” Viterra spokesman Jeff Cockwill said. Luckily no one died, but one of our employees suffered minor burns and required treatment. »

Canada hopes to increase its wheat production by 44% compared to last year, said Mr.^me Bibeau. This increase will improve supply for countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa that depend on Ukrainian grain.

She added that Canadian grain farmers and the federal government are “doing everything they can” to ensure a supply for nations facing a possible famine.

Mr Trudeau arrived in Germany on Sunday after spending four days at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. He was greeted at Munich airport by a German musical welcome group and former Liberal leader and Canadian ambassador to Germany, Stephan Dion.

Mr. Trudeau then boarded a helicopter which took him to the luxury hotel Schloss Elmau, located at the foot of the mountains in the Bavarian Alps, to meet his G7 counterparts.

He had his first meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who welcomed the unity shown by the G7 in the face of Russian aggression.

The G7 and other countries have united to impose sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine last February. They have collectively spent billions of dollars sending aid and weapons to Ukraine to defend themselves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has retaliated by reducing access to its natural gas supply to some European countries, including Germany, Europe’s largest economy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to address leaders during the three-day summit.