Russia seeks to create new dependencies with cheap grain - Borrell

Russia is offering cheap grain to developing economies "to create new dependencies by exacerbating economic vulnerabilities and global food insecurity."

That’s according to a letter EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote to developing and Group of 20 countries seen by Reuters on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.

He urged the nations to speak "with a clear and unified voice" to push Moscow to return to a deal that allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain and to stop targeting Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure.

"As the world deals with disrupted supplies and higher prices, Russia is now approaching vulnerable countries with bilateral offers of grain shipments at discounted prices, pretending to solve a problem it created itself," Borrell wrote.

"This is a cynical policy of deliberately using food as a weapon to create new dependencies by exacerbating economic vulnerabilities and global food insecurity," he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders last week that Russia was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and aid basis to fulfill what he said was Moscow's critical role in global food security.

Since pulling from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s port infrastructure and grain storage facilities in southern Ukraine. In the latest attack on the port of Izmail on the Dunai, a silo with 40,000 tonnes of grain bound for Africa, China, and Israel was destroyed.