Food crisis: Africa is actually a hostage, says President Zelensky

“This war may seem very distant to you and your countries. But the food prices that are catastrophically rising have already brought (the war) to the homes of millions of African families,” the Ukraine president told the African Union.

Zelensky asserted that the “unjust level of food prices” was caused due to the Russian war which was being “painfully felt on all continents. Unfortunately, this can be a particular problem for your countries.”

The Ukraine president claimed 25 million tonnes of foodgrain was being blocked by Russia as he informed that “complex, multilevel negotiations” were underway with Russian authorities to lift the blockade of Ukrainian ports but he conceded that no progress has been made so far.

“Food crisis in the world will continue as long as this colonial war continues,” Zelensky told the African countries.

Russia has blockaded the Black Sea port since February when President Putin declared a “special military operation” against Ukraine with several Russian warships reportedly deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, Russia said “the possibility of famine” was the “fault of Western regimes”. The Russian foreign ministry blamed the Western nations for “systematic mistakes” in its agricultural policy while saying that it had created “short-sighted” financial and monetary mechanisms amid the pandemic.

The foreign ministry said it is “impossible” to isolate Russia, while adding, “what is possible is for the West to isolate itself. If they isolated anybody, they isolated themselves from us. It is the absolute truth.”