Russia said it was ready on Saturday to promote the export of cereals which are increasingly in short supply around the world.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz raised, in a telephone conversation with Russian Head of State Vladimir Putin, the issue of fears of a food crisis due, among other things, to the shortage of cereals caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, for three months.
On this occasion, Putin said he was willing “to find options for unhindered export of grain, including Ukrainian grain from ports on the Black Sea”.
While Ukraine and Russia account for around a third of global wheat exports, the conflict between the two countries does not favor deliveries to other states. Ukraine in particular is obliged to keep its stocks in its ports which have so far been spared from the Russian bombardments.
Russia, which is under the weight of sanctions from Western countries, as reprimands for attacking Ukraine, now seems to want to use its aid (to facilitate exports) as a means of pressure to demand the lifting of economic sanctions.
The master of the Kremlin also believes that the obstacles to exports are due to these anti-Russian sanctions and to an “erroneous economic and financial policy of Western countries”.
In any case, the resumption of exports is long awaited by countries that are largely dependent on Russia and Ukraine. The President of the African Union, Macky Sall, planned to meet the heads of state of these two countries to negotiate the delivery of cereals and fertilizers to the continent.
By OMA Newsletter N° 721 of 05/30/2022
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
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