Blinken accuses Russia of ‘using food as a weapon of war’
Jenny Goldsberry
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared his reaction to Russia violating the Black Sea initiative instead of renewing it last month.
The initiative, brokered by Turkey, allows the safe export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Since the war broke out, its ports had previously been endangered by the conflict, but the first shipment since Russia invaded in February 2022 was able to leave Aug 1. According to Blinken, the 32 metric tons of exported grain add up to 18 million loaves of bread, but Russian President Vladimir Putin “tore up the deal” when it expired on July 17.
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“Russia is hearing a demand signal from countries around the world that they need to stop using food as a weapon of war in Ukraine,” Blinken said on Good Morning America on Thursday. “Countries that need the food most and who were getting it — more than half this food was going to developing countries — are not getting it. And what that does is, this food insecurity, it drives more war, it drives forced migration, it stunts growth, economic growth, physical growth.”
“And at the same time, we have countries like Russia that are using food as a weapon of war,” Blinken said.
Now, any ships in the Black Sea will be considered to be potential carriers of military equipment by Russian leaders.
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National security adviser Jake Sullivan predicted that Russia would pay an “enormous diplomatic cost” if it opted not to renew the deal before it expired. Sullivan committed that the United States was prepared at the time for either scenario. He implied that a partnership with the Ukrainians was already in the works.
The secretary of state has agreed to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in its conflict against Russia. However, he predicted the aircraft could take “months and months” to arrive. Since the deal has expired, Russia has sent missiles and drones southwest of Odesa, damaging the Chornomorsk port and some 60,000 tons of grain with it.