Russia faces pressure at UN Security Council to prevent food crisis

China, other developing countries, and Western countries all put pressure on Russia at the UN Security Council on Friday to rapidly restore Ukrainian grain imports and prevent a worldwide food crisis.

Moscow was condemned by the United Nations and council members for bombing Ukrainian ports and destroying port infrastructure after Moscow backed out of a year-long grain contract on Monday.

Following Russia’s declaration of large sections of the Black Sea as off-limits to commerce, the United Nations issued a dire warning about the potential disaster that could result from a military incident there.

Russia said it was suspending the Black Sea Grain Initiative because the United Nations had not done enough to remove barriers to the export of Russian food and fertiliser.

If progress is made in addressing the impediments, especially banking arrangements, the Kremlin has suggested it would consider resuming shipments to Ukraine.

Geng Shuang, China’s deputy UN ambassador, cited Antonio Guterres’ promise to do everything possible to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain and Russian food and fertiliser.

For the sake of sustaining international food security and relieving the food crisis in poor countries in particular, he voiced his hope that Russia and the UN will work together to resume exports from both nations at an early date.
exploiting Moscow’s record-breaking exports of grain at higher prices as evidence, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of exploiting the Black Sea as “blackmail and playing political games.”

She pleaded with the 193 UN member states and the Security Council to unite in encouraging Russia to resume negotiations in good faith.

The rising cost of wheat as a result of the suspension of grain exports from Ukraine has prompted warnings from a number of developing nations.

The risk of food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and other places hit hard by the drought has been mitigated, according to Michel Biang, the ambassador of Gabon to the United Nations. He urged dialogue to resolve the impasse and prevent more suffering.

In a world already struggling with a perfect storm of violence, climate change, and a loss of confidence in multilateral solutions, Mozambique’s UN Ambassador Pedro Afonso warned that Russia’s decision is bound to intensify global socio-economic tensions.

Russia said on Monday that it will consider a ship travelling to Ukrainian ports as being laden with weapons and will treat the country of its flag as a participant in the conflict on Kyiv’s side, despite the fact that the agreement allowed Ukraine to ship grain from three Black Sea ports.

Ukraine has declared it will also consider naval vessels heading to Russian Black Sea ports to be legitimate military objectives.

According to what Thomas-Greenfield reported to the council, the United States has intelligence suggesting Russia put sea mines in the entrances to Ukrainian ports and that the Russian military may target civilian vessels in the Black Sea while blaming Ukraine.

Rosemary DiCarlo, the head of the United Nations’ political bureau, has called on Russia to cease its strikes on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. She emphasised that attacks against civilian vessels were intolerable and that sea mines posed a menace to civilian shipping.

She emphasised the importance of refraining from any further statements or actions that could inflame an already volatile situation. Military incidents, whether deliberate or accidental, in the Black Sea carry the potential for catastrophic spillover into neighbouring regions, and should be avoided at all costs.