Russia walks out of UN security council meeting over claim it is using food as ‘stealth missile’
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 2:27 pm
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... th-missile
Tue 7 Jun 2022
UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia walks out after Charles Michel accuses Moscow of being ‘solely responsible for this looming food crisis’
Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia walked out of a security council meeting over accusations Moscow was weaponizing the food crisis.
European Council president Charles Michel has accused Russia of using food supplies as “a stealth missile against developing countries”, and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscow’s UN ambassador to walk out of a security council meeting.
Michel addressed Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at a council meeting on Monday, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odesa a few weeks ago “because of Russian warships in the Black Sea”.
He said Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, airstrikes and mines were preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting.
“This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty and destabilizing entire regions,” Michel said. “Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.”
Michel accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas in Ukraine that it has occupied “while shifting the blame of others,” calling this “cowardly” and “propaganda, pure and simple”.
Nebenzia walked out, giving Russia’s seat to another diplomat. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said later on Telegram’s Russian channel that Michel’s comments were “so rude” that the Russian ambassador left the security council chamber.
In Other News:
- Grain in a facility in the Donetsk region was shelled amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- How do you get 20m tonnes of grain out of Ukraine?
Tue 7 Jun 2022
UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia walks out after Charles Michel accuses Moscow of being ‘solely responsible for this looming food crisis’
Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia walked out of a security council meeting over accusations Moscow was weaponizing the food crisis.
European Council president Charles Michel has accused Russia of using food supplies as “a stealth missile against developing countries”, and blamed the Kremlin for the looming global food crisis, prompting Moscow’s UN ambassador to walk out of a security council meeting.
Michel addressed Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia directly at a council meeting on Monday, saying he saw millions of tons of grain and wheat stuck in containers and ships at the Ukrainian port of Odesa a few weeks ago “because of Russian warships in the Black Sea”.
He said Moscow’s attacks on Ukraine’s transport infrastructure and grain storage facilities, and its tanks, airstrikes and mines were preventing Ukraine from planting and harvesting.
“This is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty and destabilizing entire regions,” Michel said. “Russia is solely responsible for this looming food crisis. Russia alone.”
Michel accused Russian forces of stealing grain from areas in Ukraine that it has occupied “while shifting the blame of others,” calling this “cowardly” and “propaganda, pure and simple”.
Nebenzia walked out, giving Russia’s seat to another diplomat. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said later on Telegram’s Russian channel that Michel’s comments were “so rude” that the Russian ambassador left the security council chamber.
In Other News:
- Grain in a facility in the Donetsk region was shelled amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- How do you get 20m tonnes of grain out of Ukraine?