Zelensky warns of food crisis, urges end to Russian blockade

• Ukraine was the world’s top producer of sunflower oil and a major wheat exporter.
• Millions of tonnes of grain exports remain stranded due to the blockade.
• Zelensky urged the international community to “restore international law”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged international pressure on Saturday to end Russia’s naval blockade of Black Sea ports, which has stifled his country’s grain exports and threatens a global food crisis.

Ukraine was the world’s top producer of sunflower oil and a major wheat exporter prior to the Russian invasion, but millions of tonnes of grain exports remain stranded due to the blockade.

The United Nations and some countries are pushing for the opening of a maritime corridor to allow exports to resume.

“The world will face an acute and severe food crisis and famine, in many countries of Asia and Africa,” Zelensky said in a video address to the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore.

“The shortage of foodstuffs will inexorably lead to political chaos, which can result in the (collapse) of many governments and the ousting of many politicians,” he told delegates, including Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and China’s defense minister.

“This looming threat is plain to see by just looking at the skyrocketing prices of basic products in the world markets and in certain countries. This is the direct consequence of the acts of the Russian state.”

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Zelensky urged the international community to “restore the full might of the international law” that existed before the February 24 invasion.

Kyiv is in discussion with the UN, Turkey and other countries to open a way to allow the grain exports, and Zelensky said the talks are focused on the “format” of the corridor.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart held talks this week in Ankara on securing safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports, but the discussions made little headway.

Zelensky said Ukraine was currently exporting more than two million tonnes of grain a month via rail but this was not enough.

He accused Russia of attempting to raise grain prices, adding that it had done the same with energy.

Russia’s invasion drew international condemnation and a barrage of sanctions. After being driven out of Kyiv and other parts of the country, it has turned its attention to the eastern Donbas region.

Read more: Ukrainian forces ‘holding on’ in key Donbas battles: Volodymyr Zelensky