US envoy to Russia visits Russian Foreign Ministry to discuss bilateral issues: Report

As the Russian war entered day 78, the US State Department on Wednesday informed that the US ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, visited Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to discuss bilateral differences between both countries. The visit was discreet and the meeting lasted about twenty minutes, a US State Department official told CNN. The anonymous source also clarified that the visit was not in response to a summon and was pre-planned.

While it was known that the issues discussed were mostly bilateral relations, the accurate details remained disclosed. The meeting comes days after a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia allowed the release of Trevor Reed, an illegally detained American citizen. Sullivan was a key official in ensuring Reeds' liberation.

Blinken calls on Russia to 'stop threatening people with malnutrition'

Meanwhile, US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Wednesday urged Russia to cease its blockade of the Black Sea coast. Taking to Twitter, Blinken accused Moscow of "threatening people with malnutrition" as exports from Ukraine are a key source of food to the world, mostly developing countries. Sharing a video, Blinken underscored how the world food supply has been impacted by the three-month-long running war in Ukraine.

About 84% of merchant ships are stranded at Ukraine port, leading to a massive hindrance to the safe passage of commercial vehicles. The video also stated that Ukraine's agricultural exports have dwindled to significant lows since the Russian war.

"Russia's blatant disregard for the Global food security is reprehensible. Moscow should immediately and unconditionally cease his aggression against Ukraine," Blinken said.

It is pertinent to mention that Ukraine averagely exports five million tonnes of grain every year, which reaches over 400 million across the world. However, the halt in the exports has led to a considerable drop in the amount, which could lead to "potential famine and political instability," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 9 during talks with EU Commission President Charles Mitchell.

(Image: AP)