British foreign minister Liz Truss accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of holding the world to ransom over food, responding to a question about whether she supported lifting sanctions in exchange for grain exports from Ukraine.
"It is completely appalling that Putin is trying to hold the world to ransom, and he is essentially weaponising hunger and lack of food amongst the poorest people around the world," Truss said during a visit to Bosnia on Thursday.
"We simply cannot allow this to happen. Putin needs to remove the blockade on Ukrainian grain."
On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying that Moscow was ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions.
Western countries have coordinated in imposing sanctions on Russia, from its companies and media outlets to businessmen and politicians, to punish Moscow for the war in Ukrainian.
"What we cannot have is any lifting of sanctions, any appeasement, which will simply make Putin stronger in the longer term," Truss said.
Source: REUTERS
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Ahhh, if you knew Russia was that powerful to the extent that they can hold the world to ransom over food, why'd didn't you advice Ukraine not to fight them or give up from day one. Okay we will hold Britain responsible if any Ghanaian goes to sleep on a hungry stomach. Don't be surprised if Agriculture minister comes out to announce that planting for food and jobs fertilizer will not be available this year because of the Russia-Ukraine war. Fact is that there is no money to import the fertilizer, that God Russia has come to support Ghana with reasons why government subsidized fertilizer won't be available. Am suprised no politician is blaming the Russia-Ukraine war for the flooding in Accra, but for the war government was in the process of negotiating a loan from Ukraine to tackle the Accra drains. A politician went to a village to campaign. He asked the villagers their 2 major problems.They said potable water was their major challenge. The politician removed his mobile phone from his pocket and spoke on the phone for 5 minutes, he told the people he has just called the water minister and that in 72 hours water problem will be a thing of the past. He then asked to know their number 2 problem. The villagers said, there is no telecomminications network in any part of the community. Now that we know Ghana's so called politicians are liars, I don't know what their next strategy will be