For the leadership of the Russian Federation, at the current stage of aggression against Ukraine, grain became strategic weapon - Presidential Advisor Oleg Ustenko and Professor Simon Johnson -

Coming out of the Black Sea grain initiative, which made it possible to export Ukrainian agricultural products to the most vulnerable countries of the world, and by attacking the Odessa port, the Russian Federation creates the basis for the global food crisis.

This is stated in the joint article of the Presidential Advisor of Ukraine on Economics Oleg Ustenko and Professor of the School of Management of Sloun Massachusetts Institute of Technology, former IMF Chief EMF Simon Johnson for the American newspaper Los Angeles Times. “The consequences will be terrible for low -income countries that are particularly vulnerable to grain prices in world commodity markets.

If Putin is allowed to adhere to this strategy, an economic disaster, poverty growth and migration around the world will be likely, ”economists have warned. Experts point out that this month Russian troops destroyed the grain terminal at the port of Odessa, destroying warehouses that had enough grain to feed almost 300,000 people throughout the year. “Russia has blocked the movement of more than 20 ships, which already had enough Ukrainian grain to feed millions of people.

Russia is not strong enough to conquer Ukraine, but it has enough missiles to stop trade in the Black Sea region, ”the article reads. Oleg Ustenko and Simon Johnson emphasize that increased grain prices will also accelerate inflation in the US, EU countries and other wealthy countries. And in low income countries, the potential impact on prices and food supply will be sufficient for 500 million people to have a significant increase in the risk of hunger.

The authors draw attention to the fact that the Russian propaganda machine is already working hard, trying to remove the blame for the future of the food crisis. Experts insist that the US, G7 and the European Union should prevent food shortages and maintain prices at a reasonable level, as it is impossible to replace Ukrainian exports in the Black Sea today. “The only way to open the Black Sea corridor is a diplomatic agreement.

But Russia will ignore the event if Putin does not feel that it can lose support among developing countries. The US and other allies of Ukraine need high -level diplomatic initiative to convince low -income countries to push Russia to unblock grain exports from Ukraine, ”they said.

Oleg Ustenko and Simon Johnson emphasize that the Russian Presidential Strategy is to keep tens of millions of people in hostage, using food as weapons to further weaken Ukraine's economy and to create a threat to the world grain markets to force Ukraine to capitulate. “The governments of the poorer countries must demand the free movement of Ukrainian grain.