Blinken called on Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports for the export of grain .
Anthony Blinken ,
KYIV. UkraineGate. 8 . July . 2022 | Political News.
, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the G20 (Group of Twenty) foreign ministers’ meeting appealed to Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports in order to resume grain exports.
Quote
Blinken spoke at a plenary session on food and energy security, a Western official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
“He directly addressed Russia and said: Ukraine is not your country. Its grain is not your grain. Why are you blocking the ports? We need to release the grain,” the interlocutor said.
Context
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russia has blocked the export of grain from Ukrainian seaports. It demands the lifting of some sanctions in exchange for unblocking exports by sea.
According to the estimates of the Ukrainian authorities, 22 million tons of grain have been blocked. If the situation does not change, by autumn the figure may increase to 60 million tons.
Western politicians accuse Moscow of using hunger as a weapon.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba , expressed doubts about a quick breakthrough in negotiations on unblocking grain exports.
Source: Ukrgate
