WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2022) US State Secretary Antony Blinken said the situation around Ukraine creates problems with food flows and energy prices in the world.
"We now have problems in food flows... for the exports of agricultural products are now at stake.... Especially wheat.� Farmers in Ukraine are forced to either fight for their country or flee. The harvest is not completed, and exports are blocked in the ports of south Ukraine. This creates a problem across the world. Energy prices are another problem," Blinken said in an interview with Medi 1 as posted by the US State Department.
"Europe is very focused on the idea that we now really need to diversify from Russian gas and oil, because Russia is now unfortunately using them as a policy tool," he said.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine. Moscow has said it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia.
