UN talks with Russia to prevent global food crisis

United Nations Ukraine crisis coordinator, Amin Awad – Photo: TWITTER

According to AFP news agency, the United Nations’ Ukraine crisis coordinator, Amin Awad, expressed optimism about negotiations with Russia.

“I’m optimistic that some things can be conceded, some things can be done,” Awad said. He also expressed hope that negotiations with Russia would have a “breakthrough”.

Mr Awad said these “very complex” and ongoing “multiple directions” negotiations were an attempt to end the current stalemate.

Ships full of grain are still stranded in Ukraine, which was once the world’s top exporter of corn, wheat and sunflower seeds before Russia launched a special military operation in the country on February 24.

Awad said UN aid director Martin Griffith and UN trade and development agency head Rebeca Gynspan are leading the negotiations.

The United Nations has warned that African countries in particular, which import more than half of their wheat consumption from Ukraine and Russia, will face an “unprecedented” crisis because of the conflict in Ukraine. .

Food prices in Africa have exceeded prices as a result of the 2011 Arab Spring and 2008 food riots.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to find a way to transport grain stuck in Ukrainian ports but demanded that the West lift sanctions on Russia.

However, Awad stressed that Russia is also under pressure from some allies.

On the same day, Putin held talks with Senegalese President and the head of the African Union (AU), Macky Sall, in the city of Sochi, Russia.

Mr Sall said he felt “assured” after talking with the Russian leader that Mr Putin was aware that African nations were “victims” of the Ukraine conflict.

Meanwhile, in a television interview on the evening of June 3, Putin affirmed that there were “no problems” when exporting grain from Ukraine, according to AFP news agency.

The Russian president said that grain exports can be done through Ukrainian ports, through other ports under Russian control, or even through Central Europe.

The Russian leader accused the West of “making noise” by accusing Moscow of blocking grain exports from Kiev.

Specifically, Putin mentioned the possibility of exports through the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk (both under Russian control) in the Sea of ​​Azov.

President Putin also mentioned the ports controlled by Ukraine, especially Odessa, but emphasized that these ports must be cleared of mines first. Putin also mentioned other options including the Danube river passing through Romania, Hungary or Poland. At the same time affirming the simplest, cheapest and simplest option is to go through Belarus.