₦airaland Forum

Ukraine's president said on Monday that trade at the country's ports was at a standstill and urged the international community to take immediate steps to end a Russian blockade to allow wheat shipments and prevent a global food crisis.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy made the comments after speaking to European Council President Charles Michel, who was visiting Odesa - the major Black Sea port for exporting agricultural products where missiles struck tourist sites and destroyed buildings on Monday.

"For the first time in decades and decades, in Odesa there is no regular movement of the merchant fleet, there is no routine port work. This has probably never happened in Odesa since World War Two," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

"And this is a blow not only to Ukraine. Without our agricultural exports, dozens of countries in different parts of the world are already on the brink of food shortages. And over time, the situation can become, frankly, frightening."

Ukraine was the world's fourth-largest exporter of maize (corn) in the 2020/21 season and the No.6 wheat exporter, according to International Grains Council data. But nearly 25 million tonnes of grains are now stuck in Ukraine, a U.N. food agency official said on Friday.

"Immediate measures must be taken to unblock Ukrainian ports for wheat exports," Zelenskiy said earlier on his Telegram messaging channel.

He did not specify what measures he was seeking. NATO countries including the United States have ruled out armed intervention for fear of triggering a wider war.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited Kyiv on Sunday, said his country would help Ukraine work out options on how to export stored grain.

SILOS OF BLOCKED GRAIN

Michel, who chairs summits of the European Union's national leaders, wrote on Twitter that he had seen silos full of grain, wheat and corn in Odesa that was ready for export but blocked.

"This badly needed food is stranded because of the Russian war and blockade of Black Sea ports. Causing dramatic consequences for vulnerable countries. We need a global response," he wrote.

Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports since the invasion on Feb. 24 has added to volatility in international financial markets, sending commodity prices higher.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week the problem of food security cannot be solved without restoring Ukrainian production to the world market.

Ukrainian agriculture officials say the exportable surplus is around 12 million tonnes, and agriculture analysts have said Ukraine's stocks are so high that there will not be enough room to store the new harvest when it comes.

Ukraine has sown about 7 million hectares of spring crops this year, or 25-30% less than a year earlier, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said on Monday.

He said Ukraine had exported 1.090 million tonnes of grain in April, but that the sowing was not of the same quality as last year and the sowing area for corn was smaller.

Moscow says its "special operation" in Ukraine is designed to disarm and denazify its smaller neighbour. Ukraine and the West say this is a false pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression by Russia.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/ukraine-calls-for-moves-to-unblock-ports-and-prevent-global-food-crisis/amp_articleshow/91455289.cms

Na lie. Stop using Africa and the middle east to lie. Europe and America need those food more than any other countries. The US is running out of baby food already (FORMULA), The Britons have retrogressed to using firewood.

Ukraine

Russia should just bomb that port and all their food reserves

Kingpin1000:
Russia should just bomb that port and all their food reserves

The ships and port facilities belong to Russian people of Odessa. Russia want's it in one piece.

Meanwhile Ukraine is winning �

Who will do that for Ukraine?
I thought Ukraine was winning then why are they crying again to unblock the port.
Today they want more and more weapons then tomorrow they want Turkey or Israel to negotiate peace talk.

Maybe their president is on crack

They are calling on their soldiers in the field

This is war

Zelensky enjoying every attention.
The party Dey sweet am.
Sadly Ukrainian are fueling this party with their blood and their livelihood.

If not wickedness, how can putin block the exportation of food to other parts of the world simply because he is at war with ukraine?