After the European Council president blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for causing a global food crisis, Russia’s UN ambassador stormed out of a UN Security Council meeting. Russian food supplies are being used as a “stealth missile” against the developing world, according to Charles Michel, forcing people into poverty.

Mr Michel was accused of spreading lies by Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia. Food has become stranded at Ukrainian ports as a result of the conflict. Ukraine exports a lot of cooking oil as well as grains like maize and wheat. Russia also exports a large quantity of grains and fertiliser. Because of the lack of these exports, the cost of alternatives has skyrocketed.

“Let’s be honest, Mr. Ambassador of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin is using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries,” Mr Michel said during a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.

“The devastating effects of Russia’s war are reverberating around the world, raising food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilising entire regions.” “Russia is solely to blame for the current food crisis.”

He went on to say that he had seen for himself the millions of tonnes of grain stuck in the Ukrainian port of Odesa due to a Russian naval blockade.

Because of its military activities in Ukraine, Mr Michel also accused Russia of stealing grain and preventing crop planting and harvesting.

Mr Nebenzia stormed out as a result of his remarks. “You may leave the room,” Mr Michel said as he walked away. “Perhaps it’s easier not to listen to the truth. Mr Nebenzia told Reuters that he couldn’t stay because “Charles Michel came here to spread lies.”

In a separate meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia was preventing Ukrainian grain exports from leaving the country and accused Russian forces of destroying agricultural infrastructure in Ukraine.

“There’s somewhere around 20 million tonnes of wheat trapped in silos near Odesa, and in ships literally filled with grain that are stuck in the Odesa port because of this Russian blockade,” Mr Blinken said during a virtual roundtable with philanthropists, non-governmental organisations, and private sector entities.

He agreed with Mr Michel that there were credible reports that Russia was “pilfering” Ukraine’s grain to sell for profit.

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