'Sanctions imposed by West provoking global food crisis': Russia decries UN concerns

With the Russia-Ukraine war going on for more than a month, UN authorities have been raising concerns over the food crisis as an aftermath of the war. However, the Russian envoy to the United Nations has claimed that the West is responsible for provoking the global food crisis, not Russia. 

On Monday, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Anna Yevstigneyeva stated that the West's illegal sanctions on Russia are causing a global food crisis. At the United Nations Security Council meeting, she stated that they took notice of the speeches by several Security Council members and of the Western countries’ statements where they blamed Russia for the global economic instability, price hikes, especially on energy sources and food.

She further stated that a possible food crisis is provoked not by Russia’s special operation in Ukraine but by the West’s illegal unilateral sanctions, which cut Russia, a food and fertilizers manufacturer off the SWIFT system, and are threatening with mass arrests of freight ships, according to TASS. Yevstigneyeva also stated that countries that are currently experiencing economic challenges should not fall for anti-Russian slogans, but rather look at the current situation through the lens of their important interests.

Conflict in Ukraine is causing a worldwide economic slowdown

In the meanwhile, UNCTAD, the UN's trade, investment, and development agency, said in new research titled "Tapping a Time of Conflict" that the conflict in Ukraine is causing a worldwide economic slowdown, which was disproportionately affecting developing nations, according to Radio France Internationale. Rebeca Grynspan, who is the UNCTAD president called for a coordinated international response to assist poorer nations in weathering the crisis, stating that "urgency is of the essence."

She further stated that many developing nations have struggled to regain economic propulsion since the COVID-19 recession ended, and they are now facing tremendous headwinds from the war.

Ukraine and Russia are major exporters

Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of farm-grown goods and fertilisers, including wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and sunflower oil. With Russia's invasion cutting off Ukraine's access to its ports, Russia becoming increasingly isolated from export markets, and its entire economy under sanctions, the supplies are rapidly dwindling, driving up costs.

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