UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has endorsed the idea of creating a multinational naval coalition to enable Ukraine's grain exports, now halted due to the Odessa port blockage, British media reported on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2022) UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has endorsed the idea of creating a multinational naval coalition to enable Ukraine's grain exports, now halted due to the Odessa port blockage, British media reported on Tuesday.
The initiative of engaging a multinational naval effort for unblocking the Black Sea port of Odessa was proposed by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis during his talks with Truss in London on Monday. He suggested that ships carrying Ukrainian grain be protected by a non-NATO naval escort when they pass by Russian warships in the Black Sea.
The Times reported, citing a diplomatic source, that Truss has endorsed Landsbergis' initiative and the UK government is now in talks with allies about sending warships to the Black Sea.
A multinational naval undertaking in the Black Sea will likely require approval of the United States and coordination with Turkey, which runs the Bosphorus Strait, the report said. Countries like Egypt, which were affected by the disruption of Ukrainian grain exports, are expected to be willing to contribute to the initiative.
World leaders have been raising concerns over an imminent food and price crisis if supply chains continue to remain broken over the Ukraine crisis.
The World Food Programme keeps warning that that ongoing hostilities Ukraine, which is a key global grain producer, accounting for 9% of the world's wheat exports, 13.5% of corn and 70% of sunflower products, may exacerbate hunger due to disrupted supply chains and derailed crops production. Such regions as Africa and the middle East may suffer the most, as they are heavily dependent on cheap grain exports, with the total of 811 million people worldwide exposed to the risk of malnutrition.
