Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that the Ukrainian NATO Council will meet today, Wednesday, at Ukraine's request: that the country wants to "consult on the latest developments and discuss the transportation of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea." Putin disrupted the export of Ukrainian grain.
Russia withdrew its grain deal with Ukraine last week and bombed the Ukrainian port city of Odessa on a daily basis. The agreement protects cargo ships carrying Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports.
On Monday, a drone attack hit the coastal city of Rennie, destroying a grain hangar. Located on the Danube River, near the border with Romania, Reni is one of the largest river grain ports in Ukraine.
"This latest escalation poses serious risks to the security of the Black Sea"
The attack was also the closest confrontation with a NATO member since the war began in February 2022. "This latest escalation poses serious risks to the security of the Black Sea. It also affects once again the transportation of grain in Ukraine, and thus the global food security," said the Romanian president. Klaus Iohannis.
Africa is suffering
Experts say transporting wheat and corn out of Ukraine is becoming more and more difficult. Vegetable oils can still be transported by road or rail, but this method of transport is not cost-effective for grain. As a result, grain prices rose sharply, hitting a five-month high this week.
NGOs say Africa is highly dependent on grain from Russia and Ukraine. High prices can lead to hunger for millions of people, especially in poor countries. Putin claimed that Russia would take over the transportation of Ukrainian grain to Africa. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the broker of the original grain deal, to help mediate.