Russian media chief welcomed the possibility of a global famine triggered by Ukraine’s invasion… and said the West would like to be friends if sanctions are cut
- RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan told SPIEF. made a sensational comment in
- He claimed to have heard many Russians say: ‘All our hope lies in the famine’
- More than 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine due to blockade
-
There are fears that this could worsen the food crisis in countries like Yemen and Ethiopia.
A Russian media chief has welcomed the possibility of a global famine due to the grain blockade in Moscow.
Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the news channel rtMade inflammatory remarks on stage at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
He said that he had heard many Russians say: ‘All our hope lies in the famine.’
‘Here’s what it means,’ she told the stage. ‘It means the famine will start now and they will lift the ban and be friends with us, because they will realize it is necessary.’
More than 20 million tonnes of grain are trapped inside Ukraine after Russia blocked the country’s Black Sea ports.
RT editor-in-chief and session moderator Margarita Simonyan attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 17, 2022 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A man processes wheat in Odessa, Ukraine on June 17, 2022 as the Russo-Ukrainian War continues
Global food prices are rising as a result, and there are fears that shortages could trigger global famine and exacerbate hunger crises in Yemen and Ethiopia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Africa a “hostage” of aggression, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell this week called the Russian blockade “a real war crime”.
The United Nations has been trying to mediate a deal between Ukraine, Russia and Turkey to pull out grain, but hasn’t done much so far.
And US President Joe Biden has proposed a plan to export grain by rail with temporary silos built along Ukraine’s European border, including Poland.
Simonian told the forum, ‘Here’s what it means. ‘It means the famine will start now and they will lift the ban and be friends with us, because they will realize it is necessary’
Yesterday Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that there were only “several weeks” left to act.
She told the Commons: ‘We are supporting the UN plan, but we are also doing it with our partners to provide a safe passage to ensure that Odessa is completely safe.’
Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has said there will be nowhere to plant this year’s crop because Ukrainian silos are still full of the previous crop.
advertisement