Ministers Slam Russia's 'grain War' At Berlin Food Summit

Germany accused Russia of taking the world hostage with its "grain war" on Friday as Berlin hosted a conference to address concerns the Ukraine conflict could cause hunger in some countries

Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2022 ) :Germany accused Russia of taking the world hostage with its "grain war" on Friday as Berlin hosted a conference to address concerns the Ukraine conflict could cause hunger in some countries.

Held under the banner "Uniting for Global Food Security", the meeting brought together foreign, agriculture and development ministers from 40 countries ahead of a G7 leaders summit in Bavaria starting on Sunday.

With stalled grain deliveries from Ukraine leaving many countries fearing food shortages, the conference was attended by G7 ministers as well as hard-hit nations like Nigeria, Tunisia and Indonesia.

Moscow is "deliberately causing food prices to explode ... in order to destabilise entire countries", Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the meeting, accusing Russia of waging a "cynical grain war".

At a news briefing ahead of the conference, Baerbock had accused Russia of using hunger "quite deliberately as a weapon of war" and "taking the whole world hostage".

As a result of Russia's invasion of top agricultural exporter Ukraine, grain deliveries across the Black Sea have been stalled by minefields and a Russian military blockade of Ukrainian ports.

The crisis has seen food prices soar and contributed to the global spike in inflation.

The United Nations has warned that it is currently affecting poorer African countries the most because of their heavy dependence on Russian and Ukrainian wheat.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the conference the world was facing "an unprecedented global hunger crisis".

"There can be no effective solution to the global food crisis without reintegrating Ukraine's food production as well as the food and fertiliser produced by Russia into world markets," he said.

Moscow denies blocking the passage of cargo vessels and blames Western sanctions against Russia for contributing to the food crisis.