French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accused Russia of endangering the world’s food supply by suspending its participation in a landmark Ukraine grain deal.
Moscow on Saturday suspended its participation in a deal that would allow vital grain exports from Ukraine and accused it of drone strikes on Russian ships in Crimea.
In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the president’s office said Macron “condemned Russia’s unilateral decision to again undermine global food security.”
The Russian military made the announcement after accusing Kyiv of carrying out a “massive” drone strike against the Black Sea Fleet.
US President Joe Biden called the move “absolutely outrageous” and Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said Moscow was “arming food.”
A July deal signed between Russia and Ukraine and brokered by Turkey and the United Nations to lift the ban on grain exports has been seen as crucial to alleviating the global food crisis caused by the conflict.
The agreement, which allowed exports of more than 9 million tons of Ukrainian grain, was due to be renewed on 19 November.
Earlier Tuesday, Turkey said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would try to salvage the grain export deal in the next few days in talks with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.
In a telephone call on Tuesday, Macron told President Zelensky that France would “very quickly” increase its military assistance to Ukraine, “especially in terms of air defense”.
https://www.expatica.com/fr/general/france-says-russia-endangering-world-food-security-768620/ France says Russia endangers global food security
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