EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has accused Russia of UN efforts to block Ukrainian grain exports. UN negotiators have been trying for weeks to get millions of tons of grain stocks stored in Ukraine onto the world market, for example to avert hunger crises in other regions of the world. “It is clear who is responsible for the blockade,” said Dombrovskis on Sunday in Geneva before the start of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference. “It is up to Russia to end its aggression and it’s up to Russia to stop stopping Ukrainian exports.”
The EU and other countries had organized a short event “Solidarity with Ukraine” before the start of the conference. According to Dombrovskis, signed more than 50 countries issued a statement of support for Ukraine. This was to prevent the war from overshadowing ministerial negotiations on other issues. Food safety is one of the issues.
Due to the war and the fact that Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, can no longer deliver, food is already becoming scarce in several countries around the world.
According to Ukrainian data, more than 23 million tons of grain and oilseeds not exported will. Before the war, 90 percent of exports went beyond the ports.