PRESS RELEASE

Russia must stop playing hunger games with people around the world

Last year, the world united to ensure Ukrainian grain exports, which had been blocked by Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian seaports. With the help of the UN and Türkiye we managed to launch the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has proven to be a vital lifeline for the world.

Thanks to this Initiative, more than half of the global supply by the United Nations World Food Programme has been covered by Ukrainian grain.

Despite what Russian propaganda says, around two thirds of the overall volume of Ukrainian exports went to developing countries and to those most vulnerable to acute food insecurity in countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its results are spectacular: almost 33 million metric tons of agricultural products were exported to 45 countries.

Proving its genuine commitment to guaranteeing food security, Ukraine has also launched an important humanitarian program, “Grain from Ukraine,” initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Within its framework, Ukraine provided grain free of charge to those in need, especially in countries of Africa. We engaged 34 donor countries, who helped fund the program and save people from the threat of hunger. We are grateful to every donor who has joined this vital program.

Ukraine has never put forward any additional demands to continue the functioning of the deal. We always stressed that we want our grain exports to continue unabated and expand capacity.

On the contrary, Russia has systematically obstructed the functioning of the deal:

• Russia deliberately decreased the number of inspections in the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, limiting the capacity to 1-2 vessels per day;
• On April 29th, 2023, Russia fully blocked the functioning of Ukraine’s Pivdenny seaport;
• As of now, Russia has fully blocked the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The last grain vessel departed the port of Odesa on July 16, 2023.
• Right after killing the Grain Deal, Russia demonstrated its true attitude toward global food security by attacking key Ukrainian seaports, Odesa and Chornomorsk, with numerous missiles and drones.

We emphasize that since 2022, no sanctions have been imposed on Russian food exports and when Russia claims otherwise, it simply lies.

The immediate outcome of Russia killing the deal now will be that prices will again go up. Hurting those most vulnerable, primarily in Asia and Africa, especially in Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Yemen.

Last year, when the initiative was introduced, grain prices around the world immediately dropped. Together with other factors, it had a positive long-term effect. In June 2023, the prices were 23.4% lower than in March 2022, when Russia started the blockade of our seaports.

We call on all UN Member States to firmly demand that Russia resume its participation in the deal and stop its hunger games. No country in the world has the right to destroy global food security.

Food security is one of the important points of President Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula, aimed at restoring just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the UN Charter and UNGA resolutions. We call on all states and organizations to join the implementation of this specific item of the Formula.