More than 90 countries have committed not to use food as a weapon of war, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said before Thursday’s meeting of the U.N. Security Council, adding he hopes the message that sends gets through to Russia and it rejoins the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,’’ Blinken said the agreement had allowed Ukraine to export 30 million tons of food products, more than half of it going to developing countries.
Since withdrawing from the yearlong deal in mid-July, Russia has not only resumed its blockade of the Black Sea but also attacked Ukraine’s shipping infrastructure, destroying about 180,000 metric tons of grain and helping drive up prices of wheat and other agricultural products.
“I think Russia is hearing a demand signal from countries around the world that they need to stop using food as a weapon of war in Ukraine,’’ Blinken said.
That signal was also sent, he said, during the summit Russia hosted last week with leaders of African nations, half of whom declined to attend. The ones who did pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek peace with Ukraine and reenter the grain deal.
Blinken said about 260 million people globally are acutely food insecure – the consequence of climate change, the COVID pandemic and conflicts – and that leads to forced migration, more war and less economic growth. The food insecurity is only exacerbated by the rising prices that have followed Moscow’s pullout from the grain accord.
“The world is looking to this,’’ he said, “particularly countries throughout Africa are looking to this, and looking to Russia to get back into this agreement.’’
Source : USA Today
