Ukraine is engaged in an international UN-led initiative with partner navies to ensure that Ukrainian food shipments are safe. “Russia plays hunger games with the rest of the world by obstructing Ukrainian food exports on the one hand while attempting to blame Ukraine on the other. Ukraine is working on an international UN-led operation with partner warships to ensure a secure commerce channel,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter.

President Zelensky had previously indicated that the invaders had stolen at least half a million tonnes of grain from Ukraine’s temporarily seized territory and were seeking for methods to unlawfully sell it

7 million tonnes of wheat, 14 million tonnes of corn grain, 3 million tonnes of sunflower oil, and 3 million tonnes of sunflower meal are unable to access the worldwide market due to the blockade of Ukrainian seaports. This has already resulted in a record surge in global market prices, as well as a global food crisis and soaring inflation.