Zelensky accuses Russia of blocking 22 million tonnes of food at ports

the ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Russia to block the export of 22 million tons of food products and warned that if their ports are not unblocked, many countries will face a food crisis.

“The world community must help Ukraine to unlock sea ports, otherwise the energy crisis will be followed by a food crisis and many other countries will face it,” Zelensky said during a media meeting after talks with Portuguese Prime Minister António coast in Kiev on Saturday (21), according to the president’s office.

“Russia has blocked almost every port and, so to speak, every maritime opportunity to export food – our grains, barley, sunflowers and more. Many things,” he said.

“There will be a crisis in the world. The second crisis after the energy crisis, which was caused by Russia. Now it will create a food crisis if we don’t unblock the routes to Ukraine, if we don’t help the countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, that need this food”.

“You can unlock them [os portos] in different ways. One of the ways is a military solution. That’s why we turn to our partners with requests about the weapons,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky also accused Moscow to “steal gradually” food products and try to sell them.

“Russia puts millions of people at risk of starvation by blocking our ports,” tweeted Russia’s foreign minister. Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, on Saturday, adding that the country has established with its partners two alternative land routes to export food and “save Africa and other regions from hunger”.

Before the war, the supply of wheat from Russia and Ukraine accounted for nearly 30% of global trade, and Ukraine is the world’s fourth largest exporter of corn and the fifth largest exporter of wheat, according to the US State Department.

The World Food Program of United Nations – which helps to combat food insecurity global – buys about half of its wheat from Ukraine each year and has warned of dire consequences if Ukrainian ports are not opened.