Russia's Blockade On The Black Sea Puts The World On The Brink Of A Food Crisis, President Zelensky: Millions Are At Risk Of Starvation

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. (Number: president.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned millions of people are at risk of starvation, as Russia's blockade of the Black Sea has put the world on the verge of a food crisis.

It is known, that Russia managed to seize most of the coast of Ukraine, blocking agricultural exports to issuing policies to increase the price of wheat.

President Zelensky said Ukraine was now unable to export large quantities of wheat, corn, vegetable oil, and other products, which have played a "stabilizing role in global markets".

"Millions of people may starve if Russia's blockade of the Black Sea continues", he said in a video statement to the TIME100 Gala 2022 in New York released by Ukrainian authorities on Thursday, reported Reuters on June 9.

It is known, that Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of arming food supplies. Russia says Ukrainian mines are laid at sea and international sanctions on Moscow are to blame.

Kyiv used to export most of its goods through ports, but since the Russian invasion on February 24, it has been forced to transport grain by rail across Ukraine's western border or via the small Danube port.

Furthermore, President Zelensky thanked United States President Joe Biden, for "unifying the free world when the Russian threat arose".

He also appealed to his Ukrainian allies to supply him with more weapons, drawing comparisons between what he described as hatred of Russia and COVID-19.

"Weapons and sanctions are also vaccines: a vaccine against COVID-22 that Russia has brought. Hate is a virus, and even deadlier than COVID-19", he said. Russia did not immediately respond to President Zelensky's comments.