“Stupidity or Misdirection”
Moscow attacks Baerbock after allegations of a blockade
05/14/2022, 7:13 p.m
At the G7 meeting, Foreign Minister Baerbock expressed concern about impending famine. She accuses Russia of using its war to prevent the export of vital grain from Ukraine. Moscow denies responsibility – and blames the federal government.
Russia has denied responsibility for the high food prices and the risk of a global hunger crisis and has reacted sharply to accusations by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Prices rose because of Western sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel. “If you don’t understand that, it’s either a sign of stupidity or deliberately misleading the public,” she told Baerbock.
Another reason for the global food crisis is the collapse of Ukraine’s statehood – and the West is also responsible for this. “One of the reasons for this is the predecessors of Ms. Baerbock, who not only interfered in the situation in the country, but also shaped Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy by hand,” Zakharova claimed.
The German Foreign Minister had previously expressed her concern about an imminent famine in the world at the G7 meeting on the Baltic Sea. She accused Russia of blocking Ukraine’s seaports during the war and thus preventing grain exports. The country is one of the most important grain producers in the world.
Regarding grain exports, the G7 foreign ministers noted at their meeting that Russia’s groundless war in Ukraine has worsened the global economic outlook, with food, fuel and energy prices now soaring. Around 43 million people are just one step away from starvation. Alternatives to shipping grain from Ukraine are now being examined. After there were problems with rail transport via Romania due to the different track widths of the railways, exports via the Baltic ports were being examined, said Baerbock. “Every ton that is delivered can help a little bit to get this hunger crisis under control.” The world’s second largest wheat producer, India, has banned the export of its grain with immediate effect.