Putin says Russia is 'willing to talk' about restoring grain shipments from Ukraine

As concerns mount due to the rising food crisis amid the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Russia is open to talking about options to allow Ukraine to resume grain supplies from seaports in a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as the Kremlin suggest. Russia blocked Ukraine’s Black sea ports during the war, jeopardising the food supply for dependent countries. Nearly a third of the world's wheat is produced in Russia and Ukraine, which is also a big producer of fertilizer and a large exporter of corn and sunflower oil.

The Kremlin stated that Russia, for its part is prepared to assist in the identification of options for unrestricted grain export, including the shipment of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports. Putin told Macron and Scholz that if sanctions against Russia were lifted, Russia would be willing to increase its exports of fertilizers and agricultural products to assist calm global food market tensions, according to the report.

He has made this demand in recent days in conversations with the Italian and Austrian leaders. However, the United States has already declined Russia’s offer to reopen Ukrainian ports in exchange for lifting sanctions, stating that they have heard false promises from the Russian Federation before.

Putin said that the food shortages were caused by Western countries

Russia has been accused by Ukraine and Western countries of "weaponizing" the food crisis that has resulted from its invasion of Ukraine, which has driven up the prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer. However, Putin said that the food shortages were caused by Western countries' faulty economic and financial policies, as well as the anti-Russian sanctions. The Russian president also warned against the pumping of Western armaments into Ukraine, which he said might lead to further destabilization and worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

Russia 'eager' to resume talks with Ukraine

The Kremlin suggest that Putin also stated that Russia is eager to resume talks with Ukraine. It said that the situation of the negotiations that have been halted because of Kyiv has received special attention from Putin. It further added that Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the Russian side's willingness to resume negotiations with Ukraine.

Image: AP