Russia blames West for food crisis
Putin urges sanctions over invasion be lifted
KYIV, Ukraine — Moscow pressed the West on Thursday to lift sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, seeking to shift the blame for a food crisis that has been worsened by Kyiv’s inability to ship millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products because of the conflict.
Britain accused Russia of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief, and a U.S. diplomat blasted the “sheer barbarity, sadistic cruelty and lawlessness” of the invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that Moscow “is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizer on the condition that politically motivated restrictions imposed by the West are lifted,” according to a Kremlin readout of the call.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but the war and a Russian blockade of its ports has halted much of that flow, endangering world food supplies. Many of the ports are also heavily mined.
Russia also is a significant grain exporter, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said the West “must cancel the unlawful decisions that hamper chartering ships and exporting grain.” His comments appeared to be an effort to lump the blockade of Ukrainian exports with what Russia says are its difficulties in moving its own goods.
Western officials have dismissed the allegations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted last week that food, fertilizer and seeds are exempt from sanctions imposed by the U.S. and many others.
With the war grinding into its fourth month, world leaders have ramped up calls for solutions. World Trade Organization Director-general Ngozi Okonjo-iweala said that about 25 million tons of Ukrainian grain is in storage and another 25 million tons could be harvested next month.
European countries have tried to ease the crisis by moving grain out of the country by rail — but trains can carry only a small fraction of what Ukraine produces.
In other developments:
■ In the northwestern town of Kotelva, two Russian soldiers accused of war crimes pleaded guilty to shelling civilian infrastructure with a multiple rocket launcher. Alexander Ivanov and Alexander Bobykin could face up to 12 years in prison; the defense asked for eight, saying they were following orders.
■ In the ravaged port city of Mariupol, Russia began broadcasting state television news, about a week after the Russian military declared it had “completely liberated” the city.