Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he was ready to help “overcome the food crisis” caused by the blocking of Ukrainian and Russian cereals due to the ongoing conflict, subject to the lifting of sanctions against Moscow.
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Russia “stands ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizers, subject to the lifting of politically motivated restrictions by the West,” Putin said, according to a statement from the Kremlin, during a telephone call with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
This call took place on the initiative of Mr. Draghi.
Mr Putin assured that Western accusations that Moscow, since its offensive in Ukraine, has blocked Ukrainian grain exports were “unfounded”.
“The difficulties that have arisen are linked, among other things, to disruptions in the functioning of production and logistics chains, as well as to the financial policy of Western countries during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“The situation has worsened due to the anti-Russian restrictions imposed by the United States and the European Union,” he said, referring to the unprecedented rounds of sanctions that hit Russia.
Ukraine, a major exporter of cereals, especially corn and wheat, is seeing its production blocked due to the fighting.
For its part, Russia, another cereal power, cannot sell its production and its fertilizers because of Western sanctions affecting the financial and logistics sectors. The two countries produce a third of the world’s wheat.
Vladimir Putin also informed Mr. Draghi “of the work in progress to establish a peaceful life in the liberated towns of Donbass” and that the peace process was “frozen by Kyiv”.
Mario Draghi for his part declared during a press conference that “the purpose of this telephone call was to ask if something could be done to unblock the wheat which is today in the deposits in Ukraine”.
He suggested a “collaboration between Russia and Ukraine on the unblocking of the Black Sea ports” where this wheat is located, which is in danger of rotting, “on the one hand to clear these ports and on the other hand to guarantee that it there are no skirmishes during demining”.
Mr. Draghi indicated that on the Russian side there was “a readiness to continue in this direction”, and that he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “to see if there is a similar will”.
“When people ask me if I have seen any glimmers of hope for peace, the answer is no”, however concluded the Italian Prime Minister.