Ukraine claims Russia 'shamelessly' stealing & sending grains abroad, including Turkey

Amid ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodna on Friday claimed that Russian forces are "stealing and sending" tons of food grains from Crimea to nations outside country. Turkey is among nations that are receiving such shipments, according to Bodna. It is to mention that Turkey has condemned Russia's incursion and sent armaments to Kyiv but it has opposed Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bid, which requires support of all alliance members.

Taking to Twitter, Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey said, “Russia shamelessly steals Ukrainian grain and drives it out of occupied Crimea.”  

According to a Newsweek report, Vasyl Bodnar's remarks came after Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on Friday that he will soon visit Turkey, which is a rth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member. 

Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of 'stealing and exporting' Ukrainian grains

In May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged that Russia had barred over 20 million tons of food grains from entering Ukrainian ports. Zelenskyy, during a joint news conference with Portuguese Prime Minister in Kyiv, ted that Russia had blocked nearly all Ukrainian ports and roughly 22 million tonnes of grain which includes barley, sunflowers, and or crops. According to a Ukrinform report, Zelenskyy also accused Moscow of "stealing and exporting" Ukrainian grains and said that Ukrainian officials have a good understanding of where stolen grains are being transported and that nation's Foreign Ministry is looking into situation. 

While, on or hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview with Russian television channel "Russia-1" that Moscow is t obstructing Ukrainian grain exports, calling such accusations "bluff". It is pertinent to te that international leaders have issued cautionary statements as Russia's months-long blockade of Ukrainian ports raises risk of a global food crisis and starvation in some regions of world. 

According to Putin, "This is a bluff. And I will explain why. world produces about 800 million tons of wheat per year. We are told that Ukraine is ready to export 20 million tons. It's only 2.5%."

(Im: AP/ Pixabay)