Zelenskyy accuses Russia of ‘blackmailing the world with hunger’ by suspending grain deal

Zelenskyy says Russia’s ‘blackmailing the world with hunger’ by suspending grain deal with Ukraine. The move has sparked worldwide concerns about a global food crisis.

“Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the suspension on Saturday, saying that the move came in response to Ukraine’s alleged attack on their black sea fleet off the coast of Crimea. Ukraine has denied this attack.

On Monday, Russia asked for a meeting with the U.N. Security Council due to the aforementioned attack on the Black Sea Fleet, according to Dmitry Polyansky, who is Russia’s first deputy representative to the U.N.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles asked Russia to reconsider the suspension. “The EU urges Russia to revert its decision,” he tweeted Sunday.

President Joe Biden joined the condemnation on Saturday and referred to Russia’s actions as “outrageous” and expressing concern that global hunger could increase. “There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it,” he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken lashed out at Russia and accused them of “again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity.”