The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon commented today, Wednesday, on Russia's "continuation of grain games," indicating that "Russia is working through this to destabilize political stability in the West." The statement read: "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid an official visit to Sochi to negotiate with Putin regarding the extension of the grain agreement from which Russia withdrew on July 17, 2023. Following its withdrawal from the agreement, Russia systematically began destroying Ukraine's port infrastructure to make the export of Ukrainian grain by sea impossible."
The statement further noted: "Russia and Turkey were unable to agree on restoring the Black Sea Grain Initiative, as stated by Putin after official talks with Erdoğan. Although the meeting between the Turkish and Russian leaders included a non-public part, no encouraging decisions were announced regarding the revival of Ukrainian grain exports. This indicates that Russia is suffering defeats on the battlefield and is creating conditions conducive to a global famine, which, in Putin's view, should serve as revenge against Europe and the world."
The statement continued: "Russia's announcement that it is ready to export one million tons of grain to Turkey for processing into flour is not reassuring: such an amount is insufficient to guarantee food security for poor countries. Additionally, this initiative will become a pretext for speculation on grain prices, and it will not eliminate the risk of global hunger. Putin is using food blackmail to pressure the West, as a severe food shortage in African and Middle Eastern countries could lead to a flow of refugees into Europe and the resulting social and political crisis in the European Union."
The statement concluded: "Pressure on the Kremlin and the immediate restoration of the grain agreement are key to political stability in Europe and the world. Russia has become a source not only of military and nuclear terrorism but also of food terrorism. The international community must exert every effort to restore the Ukrainian grain export initiative, as it serves the interests of every country seeking security and stability."
