Russia says US 'blackmail' over fertilizer exports disrupts global food security
Russia has slammed the United States for "blackmail" by blocking worldwide Russian export of food and fertilizer, causing a risk to global food security.
Russia has become the world’s most-sanctioned country since Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24.
The United States and its European allies have been spearheading the sanctions against Russia, stopping business with Russian companies and cutting some Russian banks off from the international banking system.
Russia's foreign ministry emphasized on Thursday that Moscow was ready to boost exports of food and fertilizers to help avert the global food crisis.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Washington is doing everything in its power to block the ability of one of the largest suppliers of agricultural products to sell its produce in the global markets.
"We are ready to supply both food and fertilizer, and everything else necessary to ensure that the food security of the world is not threatened. We are very much prevented from doing that presently."
"This is not just blocking financial transactions, this is the persecution of all those operators and companies who work with our country, and those who participate in the market and have every reason to make transactions, but they are being persecuted by the United States. They are being persecuted in different ways: they are blackmailed, their activities are blocked by any means," she explained.
In the meantime, anti-Moscow sanctions imposed by the West over Russia’s military operation in Ukraine have resulted in higher food and energy prices, particularly in European countries, which have led to general public dissatisfaction and protests.
Disruption in supply chains has led to higher energy and cost of living prices across the European Union, driving inflation to record levels and causing overall public dissatisfaction.
Protests have been held across EU members states against the unprecedented inflation and the rising costs of living caused by the West's sanctions
Protesters demand that EU officials take appropriate measures to resolve the crises and lift Russian sanctions.
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