EU Commission Chief Leyen says 'food has become part of Kremlin's arsenal of terror'

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused Russia of weaponizing hunger. Speaking at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the special European Council meeting, Leyen said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only affected economics, geopolitics or security architecture. However, it has also impacted the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. She accused Kremlin of making food a part of its "arsenal of terror." 

"This is a cold, callous and calculated siege by Putin on some of the most vulnerable countries and people in the world. Food has become part of the Kremlin's arsenal of terror," Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech. 

In her speech, Ursula von der Leyen stressed that they are facing up to a collision of crisis which will enhance the food insecurity and debt distress across the world with factors like rising energy prices, transporting exports and effects of extreme weather linked to climate change. She added that these effects have been "massively and deliberately compounded" by the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Leyen accused Russia of bombarding grain storage facilities in Ukraine and blocking Ukrainian ports. The statement of EU Commission Chief comes as Ukraine has been accusing Russia of blocking their ports and preventing the export of agricultural products. 

"Russia actively weaponises hunger, the EU's sanctions are carefully crafted to avoid a negative impact and they foresee a clear exemption for food products," Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech. 

Furthermore, Ursula von der Leyen said that EU sanctions have been designed to avoid negative impacts on food products. She emphasized that the sanctions announced by Russia do not impact basic food commodities and do not affect the trading of grain and other food products between Russia and other countries. Leyen noted that the port embargo announced by the EU has exempted agricultural goods and stressed that the food crisis has been "fuelled" by Russia's military offensive in Ukraine. She called for working on providing an alternative way to ensure that the Ukrainian grain blocked at port reaches the international market at the earliest. 

'Russia directly responsible for any shortages in international trade in grains': Borrell

Earlier on 5 June, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell had said that Russia is "directly responsible" for "any shortages in international trade in grains." He accused Russia of trying to blame the sanctions imposed by the EU for any shortage in international trade of grains and described it as "disinformation." Taking to his official Twitter handle, Josep Borrell stressed that Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports has halted the export of tons of grain, like corn and wheat. Josep Borrell stated that the EU's sanctions imposed against Russia have been aimed to target Moscow's capacity to continue the ongoing military offensive in Ukraine. 

Image: AP