If Ukraine fails to export grain in coming months, there will be a famine catastrophe, Zelensky warns

The whole of the global business and political elite should ensure Ukraine can export 22 million tons of grain currently blocked by Russia, and prevent starvation in some countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address at the Ukraine House in Davos, Switzerland.

“A food crisis in the world is ahead – there will be, there will be a shortage of food products,” Zelensky said.

“Twenty-two million tons of grain, sunflower, etc. are blocked by the Russian Federation, which controls the entire Black and Azov coasts – all our ports are blocked.

“All the elite – the business elite, the political elite – have to take certain measures to unblock this grain so that it can be exported to Africa, Asia and European countries.”

Zelensky said that in some countries there would definitely be shortages of food if Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports is not lifted.
If we do not export (grain, ed.) in the coming months, if there are no political agreements with Russia through intermediaries… there will be famine, there will be a catastrophe, there will be shortages, there will be high prices,” Zelensky said.
“Meanwhile, all this grain will rot in our country,” the president said.

Due to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, shortages of Ukrainian grain on the world markets has led to global food panic. The global rise in food prices may reach 20-30% some economists reckon.

Photo by Office of the President of Ukraine