These products can be bought, transferred and insured freely, says the head of Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell

Anyone who wants to buy Russian food and fertilizer can do so freely and without fear of sanctions, which do not apply to these products, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.

“Our sanctions are not directed at food, they are not directed at fertilizers. Anyone who wants to buy Russian food and fertilizer can do so without hindrance.… then they can operate, they can buy, they can transfer, they can insure Borrell told reporters ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers, which will focus on ways to free Ukrainian grain stuck in Black Sea ports amid the ongoing military conflict in the country.

However, EU sanctions target Russian shipping, preventing the country’s grain and fertilizer from being shipped to the world market. This has led to a growing food crisis, with wheat prices rising to record highs in the last two months.

Ukraine, also a major breadbasket, was unable to export its grain by sea. The WTO estimates that between 22 and 25 million tons of grain are currently in Ukrainian ports. And while Western nations have accused Russia of blocking these exports, Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is eager to provide safe passage for grain-laden ships through the Black Sea, but that the Ukrainian military is preventing it because they mined the ports.

According to Borrell, the consequences of the crisis in Ukraine “they are becoming very dangerous not only for Ukraine but for the whole world.”

“I have to warn again about the risk of a great famine in the world, especially in Africa, and it is the war that is generating price increases and energy and food shortages. We are supporting the efforts of the United Nations to unblock the export of Ukraine.,” he stated.

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