Russia’s role in rising global food insecurity takes center stage at G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting

The dispute over the grains of Ukraine who was trapped threatened to overshadow the meeting of the G-20 Foreign Minister in Bali this week.

US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken is trying to conduct a pressure campaign in Russia to allow food exports to reach hunger populations throughout Africa and the Middle East, complicated efforts by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presence at the meeting of top diplomats from the world’s leading economy. Western officials also plan to encourage Moscow’s insistence that Western sanctions must be blamed for the growing global food crisis.

Moscow denied that it was a food weaponry to suppress other countries to remain silent about war, but often suggested that it would only send food exports to “friendly” countries. Diplomatic duel campaign means the G20 group is impossible to issue integrated calls to condemn the role of Russia in the food security crisis. But the increasing tension can cancel the fragile talks to end the Russian Navy blockade in Ukraine ports and release more than 20 million tons of seed exports.

U.N and Turkey each trying to mediate the discussion to restart the export of the seeds of Ukraine. But Turkey’s status as a neutral partner in the conversation now seems to be in danger compromised in the eyes of Ukraine officials. Kyiv has summoned the Turkish Ambassador in Ukraine after Ankara released a Russian-flagged cargo ship which according to Ukraine authorities was filled with “stolen” Ukraine wheat-Stolen and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine which was estimated to have stolen at least 400,000 tons from the country since February to February. invasion. Threatening development will damage the relationship between Ukraine and Turkey in a very sensitive time, only a few days before the round of other discussions that may be in Istanbul which aims to free millions of tons of food exports.

US officials are also preparing a potential meeting in the coming days, according to two people. But it is not clear whether Russia or Ukraine will agree to attend. Western leaders have suggested plans to guarantee a safe path for Ukraine food exports through the Black Sea are ready, but requires the final agreement of Moscow.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has openly refused to say whether Ukraine will attend the possibility of talks in the coming days.

US officials are not directly involved in negotiating with Russia to reopen the Black Sea for Ukraine’s food exports but they have stepped very carefully in the midst of the ongoing conversation and are being briefed on the development by US officials.

We think all preparations are already there and they can be immediately concluded, if Russia is running,” Jim O’Brien, Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs Sanctions Coordination and High Official Supervisory Efforts to Unlock Ukraine’s Food Exports, said in an interview.

Russia seems to at least place Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a prominent player in talks to mediate an agreement to free Ukraine’s agricultural exports, in a very difficult place. The Ukraine authorities asked Turkey to investigate whether the stolen grains came to the Turkish ports long before the Russian-flagged ship first left the Ukrainian Port, which was under Russian control, at the end of June. European officials said they were looking for whether Ankara drove from Western sanctions.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs did not specifically comment on the role of Turkey on Russian-flagged ships carrying alleged stolen grains to Turkish ports. The person said the US had seen Russia’s report stealing Ukraine’s agricultural supply, “Including a record of the maritime automatic identification system that shows Russian commercial cargo ships departing near Ukraine with their cargo held full of seeds.”

We work with other countries to prevent wheat sales that are likely to have been stolen from Ukraine,” the spokesman added.

Turkey’s move to release the ship seems to surprise several US and European officials, who previously said it was a “positive” step that Turkey initially confiscated the ship.

We are interested in seeing the results of the Turkish authority investigation on this issue,” said Nabila Massrali, a spokesman for the European Commission for foreign affairs and security policies.

Turkey as a state candidate is expected to be in line with the progressive European Union sanctions against Russia, especially due to product free circulation in our customs union,” Massrali said.Moscow, meanwhile, reduced Turkey’s investigation to one of the ships.

The ship has not been arrested but is undergoing standard procedures at the port,” Alexey Zaitsev, a spokesman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday. Russian government media said the ship is now returning to Russian territorial waters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also reiterated on Wednesday the point of Russian talks that Western sanctions, not Moscow blockade, which must be blamed for lack of food that destroyed many Middle Eastern and African countries that depend on the delivery of seeds from Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the head of the United wheat company controlled by the country, Dmitry Sergeyev on the same day. Sergeyev, according to the Kremlin reading, told Putin that the main seed exporters had transferred payments to the national currency “friendly countries,” which appointed several contracts in the rubles for “Turkish partners.”

Mikuláš defender, Minister of Affairs of the Czech Republic, told members of the European Parliament this week that they needed to be “firm in fighting disinformation by Russia.”

By blaming the European Union sanctions, Russia tries to divert responsibilities to the global food crisis,” the defender said. “It must be repeated again and again: it’s not because of sanctions. The food crisis has been caused by the Russian aggression war against Ukraine. “

US and European officials said they would continue to support diplomatic efforts to continue access to the black sea for Ukraine food exports, but they would also continue to work to expand land routes to export seeds from Ukraine. The new routes have allowed Ukraine to increase exports to around half of their normal volume. Western officials said it reduced a slight pressure on black sea talks, and somewhat reduced Moscow’s leverage over the supply of global food.

We are still happy to see Odesa open because it is the right and much easier thing,” O’Brien said, referring to Ukraine’s largest port. “But we feel that the land route denies Russia’s ability to control whether people eat.”