Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador, stormed out of a security council meeting when European Council President Charles Michel accused them of exploiting food supply as a ‘silent missile against underdeveloped nations’. The world is facing a major food crisis, which Michel blames on Russia’s escalating assault on Ukraine.
Ukraine is the world’s biggest source of food grains, but the Russian military has effectively prevented ships delivering food grains from Ukrainian cities, causing a major supply chain disruption. Michel spoke about his travel to Ukraine and how he witnessed a large amount of grain and wheat being lost as a result of ships being held in the Ukrainian port of Odesa for an extended period of time.
He also stated that the continued assault has made it difficult for Ukraine to grow new crops, and that old crops are being destroyed as a result of the relentless attacks on storage facilities. According to The Guardian, Michel stated, ‘This is driving up food costs, forcing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire areas. Russia is exclusively to blame for the impending food catastrophe. Only Russia.’
Nebenzia left the conference in protest as a result of this. According to Reuters, the ambassador might remain longer due to ‘the falsehoods that Charles Michel came here to propagate’. Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, also criticized Michel’s remarks, saying on Telegram’s Russian channel that they were false and ‘very nasty’. Michel also alleged in his address that Russian forces were taking crops from various locations of Ukraine during the assault, calling their activities ‘cowardly’.
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