US says Russia 'must stop playing games with lives of hungry people', urges renewal of grain deal

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield Thursday accused Russia of weaponizing food and called for the renewal of the Black Sea grain deal as the Russian deadline nears.

The call came as Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN are holding a two-day high-level meeting to extend the grain deal beyond May 18.

Thomas Greenfield said that the renewal of the deal is so important as the world is facing a global food crisis with more than 345 million people facing high levels of food insecurity according to the World Food Program.

"This is the crisis felt most acutely in Africa in the Middle East, and especially by people in countries where food was already in short supply," she said.

Russia wants obstacles to exports of its fertilizer to be removed for it to agree to another extension of the grain deal which was signed in Istanbul last July among the four parties.

But, Thomas Greenfield said that Russian exports are "just fine."

"It is exporting grain and fertilizer at the same levels, if not higher than before the full scale invasion. Russia's threats are about money and power. The more Russia obstructs Ukraine's exports, the higher the prices go," she said.

"Russia must stop playing games with the lives of hungry people around the world," she said.

​​​​​​​Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement last July in Istanbul to resume grain exports from the Ukrainian ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February, to help tackle a global food crisis.

Over 30 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs have been exported from Ukraine since last August, according to the UN.