UNITED NATIONS — Britain has data indicating the Russian navy might transfer past assaults on Ukrainian grain amenities to focus on civilian delivery within the Black Sea, Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned on Tuesday.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared the data with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy throughout a telephone name on Tuesday, Woodward mentioned.
Britain’s data additionally signifies that Russia has laid extra sea mines within the approaches to Ukrainian ports, she mentioned.
“We agree with the US assessment that this is a coordinated effort to justify and lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea,” Woodward instructed reporters.
Russia’s mission to the United Nations in New York didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The White House gave comparable warnings final week about doable assaults on civilian ships and sea mines.
The UN Security Council is because of maintain back-to-back conferences on Ukraine on Wednesday.
The first, requested by Russia, is to debate Russian accusations of Ukrainian persecution of the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Ukraine has accused the UOC of sustaining hyperlinks to the pro-invasion Russian Orthodox Church, however the UOC says it broke ties final 12 months.
The second assembly, requested by Ukraine, will talk about current Russian assaults on civilian infrastructure and ports and Moscow’s “attempts to weaponize global food supplies,” Woodward mentioned.
Russia final week stop a deal that had allowed the secure Black Sea export of Ukrainian grain for the previous 12 months, saying that calls for to enhance its personal meals and fertilizer exports—which aren’t topic to Western sanctions—had not been met.
Since Russia stop the deal and started attacking Ukrainian food-exporting ports on the Black Sea and Danube river, world wheat and corn futures have risen sharply. The UN has warned that probably the most susceptible pays the best worth.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is because of host African leaders in St. Petersburg this week and has promised free Russian grain “to replace Ukrainian grain.” Moscow had complained that not sufficient Ukrainian grain went to poor nations beneath the Black Sea export deal.
The UN argued that the deal benefited poorer nations by way of decrease world costs.
“It would be wonderful if African leaders were really strong in their messaging to President Putin,” mentioned Woodward, including that Russia’s funding in Africa was about 1% of Africa’s GDP. “Russia is not driving Africa’s growth. Russia is driving Africa into poverty.” — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
