Food blackmail: The Kremlin wants to exchange the grain export corridor for lifting sanctions

Wednesday, 25 May 2022, 11:43 – Economichna Pravda

Moscow officials claim they are considering exchanging the creation of a humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian grain for the lifting of Western sanctions, which effectively declares the world's food blackmail.

This was reported by the Russian propaganda media TASS with reference to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrei Rudenko.

He reports: "Addressing the food problem requires a comprehensive approach, including the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russian exports and financial transactions. In addition, Moscow wants Ukraine to demine the Black Sea, which in the first month full-scale invasion was mined by Russia itself."

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Russia uses food blackmail as a weapon.

Also read: Blocked ports are not a final verdict. Where Ukraine redirects export flows and what comes out of it.

Reminder: In Europe, there is growing support for a naval operation to export Ukrainian grain, which will accompany bulk carriers with warships, including minesweepers.

Lithuania has proposed the creation of a naval coalition to lift the Russian blockade on Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea.

Ukraine considers the export of grain through the humanitarian corridor through Belarus as a potential alternative to unblocking ports in the near future for grain exports, but it is even less politically acceptable.