(OTTAWA) Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative constitutes a “serious escalation in the militarization of hunger,” the Canadian government blasted Tuesday.
“Canada strongly condemns the decision of the Russian Federation to withdraw its participation in the Black Sea Grains Initiative negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey,” said Ministers Mélanie Joly, Foreign Affairs, and Harjit Sajjan, to International Development.
“This decision reimposes a de facto blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which will have a significant impact on global food exports as well as security in the Black Sea,” they also lamented in the same statement.
Thus the Russian Federation must “immediately renew its participation in the Initiative in order to avoid any new shock to the world food systems already put to the test by its war of aggression against Ukraine”, summoned the two ministers .
This gesture constitutes a “serious escalation of the militarization of hunger”, denounced Mme Joly and Mr. Sajjan.
The Kremlin on Monday signified its refusal to maintain the cereals agreement signed in July 2022 under the aegis of the United Nations and Turkey, and since extended several times, denouncing the obstacles to trade in fertilizers and other Russian products.
In one year, this agreement had made it possible to remove nearly 33 million tonnes of cereals from Ukrainian ports, mainly corn and wheat, helping to stabilize world food prices and avert the risk of shortages.
With Agence France-Presse