Russia’s Putin, Italy’s Draghi discuss ways to help solve food crisis

LONDON (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday reviewed techniques to assist relieve the global food stuff disaster, with the Kremlin declaring this could be accomplished only if the West lifts sanctions.

“Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Russian Federation is all set to make a sizeable contribution to conquering the food items disaster through the export of grain and fertilizers, supplied that politically enthusiastic limitations from the West are lifted,” Moscow stated in a statement.

Ukraine has described the Russian position as “blackmail”, and British International Secretary Liz Truss said on Thursday that Putin was “trying to keep the planet to ransom” by weaponising the foodstuff disaster established by his war on Ukraine.

The White Household explained there were no talks getting held about calming sanctions on Russia in order to secure grain exports.

In a information meeting held on Thursday evening, Draghi said he took the initiative of calling the Russian leader.

“I felt it was my duty to acquire (this initiative) mainly because of the gravity of the humanitarian disaster that may well have an effect on the world’s poorest,” he instructed reporters.

Draghi claimed Putin instructed him the food crisis was the fault of sanctions.

“I am fascinated in a extra defined, smaller concern, which is to test to see if we can unblock these huge quantities of grain in Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea,” Draghi said.

He additional he will maintain a get in touch with with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on this challenge.

Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports has prevented shipments of grain, of which the two nations around the world are significant exporters. Russia accuses Ukraine of mining the ports.

The conflict is fuelling a worldwide food items crisis by sending prices for grains, cooking oils, gas and fertilizer soaring.

Independently, Russia’s defence ministry said civilian vessels could now safely use the Azov Sea port of Mariupol in Ukraine, the place its forces took comprehensive management previous 7 days right after Ukrainian fighters surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steelworks.

It reported the threat from mines all over Mariupol port experienced now been eradicated.

The ministry claimed 6 overseas dry cargo vessels in the port have been now totally free to depart. It mentioned they were from Bulgaria, Dominica, Liberia, Panama, Turkey and Jamaica, and urged these governments to get the owners of the vessels to take out them.