Attacking the western countries over the issue of the global shortage of food grains, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday said the West is silent about the fact that Russian ships carrying grain were sanctioned.
Although the West very loudly reminds the world that grain was not subject to sanctions, for some reason they bashfully keep silent about the fact that ships importing Russian grain were sanctioned, Lavrov was quoted as saying by Sputnik news agency.
"They are not accepted in European ports, they are not insured, and, in principle, all logistics, financial chains that are associated with the supply of grain to global markets, were under the sanctions of our Western colleagues," he said at a press conference following his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Lavrov stressed that otherwise, Russia had no problems with ensuring a stable supply of grain markets. "As far as Russia is concerned, there are no problems with ensuring a stable supply of grain to world markets. The problem lies primarily in the lack of free exit from Ukrainian ports through minefields that were planted by Ukrainian military personnel," he added.
This statement comes a few days after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday told the leaders of France and Germany that Moscow was willing to discuss ways to make it possible for Ukraine to resume shipments of grain from Black Sea ports.
Putin held a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and confirmed Moscow's readiness to continue peace talks with Kyiv.
"Russia is ready to help find options for unhampered exports of grain, including exports of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports," the Kremlin said.
"Increasing supplies of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products will also help reduce tension on the global food market, which, of course, would require removing the relevant restrictions," it added.
Putin said that problems with food supplies were caused by anti-Russian sanctions and other mistakes of the West.
"Based on specific data, Vladimir Putin explained the real reasons for the difficulties with food supplies, which were the result of the misguided economic and financial policies of Western countries, as well as the anti-Russian sanctions they imposed," the Kremlin statement said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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