Zelensky: There can be no question of Russia's continued membership in FAO

“There can also be no question of Russia's continued membership in the FAO – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. What has Russia to do there if it is working for starvation of at least four hundred million and at most more than a billion people?” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said, addressing the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The President stressed that only the end of Russia's war against Ukraine could guarantee the security of food supplies across the Black Sea.

“Because it is Ukrainian agricultural exports that play a stabilizing role in the global market. And Russia must be held accountable for provoking a new wave of migration against Europe, using the people of both Africa and Asia simply as hostages. For this, long-term painful sanctions must be applied against Russia at the global level,” Zelensky stressed.

On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of the war against Ukraine – a full-scale invasion. As a result of the naval blockade imposed by Russia, more than 20 million tonnes of grain intended for export remain stuck at the Ukrainian ports. This has posed a threat of global hunger as almost half of all supplies under the UN World Food Programme account for Ukrainian grain.