Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to help “overcome the food crisis” caused by Ukraine and Russia’s grain blockade due to the conflict in Ukraine, if Western sanctions against Moscow are lifted.
Russia “is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grains and fertilizers, subject to the lifting of politically motivated restrictions by the West,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin statement, during a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
The conversation took place at the initiative of Mario Draghi.
The Russian head of state assured that western accusations that Moscow, since its offensive in Ukraine, has blocked Ukrainian grain exports are “unfounded”.
“The difficulties that have arisen are linked, among other things, to interruptions in the operation of production and logistics chains, as well as to the financial policy of Western countries during the new coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“The situation has worsened due to the anti-Russian restrictions imposed by the United States and the European Union,” he stressed, referring to the unprecedented sanctions packages that have hit Russia.
Ukraine, a major exporter of cereals, especially corn and wheat, has seen its production blocked due to conflict.
For its part, Russia, another cereal power, cannot sell its production and fertilizers due to Western sanctions that affect the financial and logistics sector. Both countries produce a third of the world’s wheat.
Vladimir Putin also informed Mario Draghi “of the ongoing work to establish a peaceful life in the liberated cities of Donbass” and that the peace process has been “frozen by kyiv”.
Mario Draghi, for his part, declared at a press conference that “the purpose of the phone call was to ask if anything could be done to unblock the wheat that is currently stored in Ukraine.”
The Italian Prime Minister suggested a “Collaboration between Russia and Ukraine in the unblocking of Black Sea ports”where the wheat is at risk of rotting, “on the one hand, to demine these ports and, on the other hand, to ensure that there are no skirmishes during mine clearance.”
Mario Draghi said that on the Russian side there was “willingness to continue in that direction” and that he would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “to see if there is a similar willingness.”
“When I am asked if I have seen any glimmer of hope for peace, the answer is no,” the Italian minister concluded.
Source: Observadora
