Russian President Vladimir Putin denies his country’s responsibility for the lack of Ukrainian grain exports. Reports of a Russian export ban are a bluff, Putin says on Russian television. Western countries tried to cover up their own political mistakes by blaming Russia for the problems in the world market. The easiest way to solve the problem is to export via Belarus.
“But for that you have to lift sanctions against Belarus,” Putin said during a top-level meeting with the African Union (AU) in Sochi. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko – an ally of Putin – also previously suggested this. According to the Russian president, the crisis started before the war in Ukraine, which he described in Russian parlance as a special military operation.
Putin: Sea mines responsible for cessation of supply
It is not Russia that is blocking wheat exports from Ukraine, the Russian president said. Ukraine must remove the mines from its ports on the Black Sea coast. The Russian military will not use this for attacks, he promised. Russia could also make available the ports of Mariupol and Beryansk on the Sea of Azov, which it controls, Putin said.
Putin spoke Friday in Sochi with Senegalese leader Macky Sall, who is also president of the AU. Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world. The loss of their supplies through the war is painful, especially for Africa. There are fears of a catastrophic famine because of the increased food prices.
Supply crisis in Africa averted?
Russia remains poised to secure wheat and fertilizer exports to the African continent, Sall reported on Twitter from the meeting. Putin and Senegalese President Sall met to discuss liberalization of all food products and lifting Russia’s ban on grain exports.
The AU committee chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who also attended the meeting, said the suspension of the grain blockade is necessary to deal with the devastating economic and socio-economic consequences of a growing food and energy crisis.
Russia continues to block Ukrainian ports
In fact, the Russian Navy is blocking Ukrainian ports. The Kiev leadership does not trust Moscow’s promises to allow ships from Ukraine to pass safely through the Black Sea. In previous statements, the Kremlin has linked an end to the grain blockade with the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
Moscow Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to hold talks on the export of Ukrainian grain in Turkey next Wednesday. To this end, the mines off the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea must be defused. Turkish specialists should help with this.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
