- Italy’s foreign minister warns that millions of people could die of hunger unless Russia opens Ukraine’s ports.
- Italy is hosting a conference on the global food crisis with Turkey, Lebanon and Germany.
- Millions of children could be “held hostage and condemned to death,” Di Maio says.
Luigi Di Maio, foreign minister of Italy, warned that millions of people could die of hunger unless Russia opens Ukraine’s ports, as he hosted Mediterranean ministers on the global food crisis on Wednesday
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“The next few weeks will be crucial in resolving the situation,” he said after a virtual conference with Turkey and Lebanon, as well as G7 President Germany and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
“I want to say clearly, we expect clear and concrete signals from Russia, because blocking grain exports means holding hostage and condemning to death millions of children, women, and men.”
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Ships carrying grain remain stranded in Ukraine, which was once regarded as a worldwide breadbasket as a leading supplier of corn, wheat, and sunflower seeds before Russia’s invasion in February.
