U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken challenged all countries Thursday to tell Russia to stop using the Black Sea and Ukraine’s grain as “blackmail” and stop treating the world’s hungry and vulnerable people as leverage in its “unconscionable war.”
America’s top diplomat lashed out at Russia at a U.N. Security Council meeting for ignoring the world’s appeals and pulling out of the year-old deal that allowed Ukraine to ship more than 32 tons of grain from Black Sea ports to needy countries.
“And what has Russia’s response been to the world’s distress and outrage? Bombing Ukrainian granaries, mining port entrances, threatening to attack any vessel in the Black Sea,” he said.
Blinken was chairing the signature event of the United States' council presidency this month on conflict as a key driver of hunger and famine.
He announced that the United States, which has provided more than $17.5 billion since January 2021 to address famine and food insecurity, will give $362 million more to tackle the drivers of hunger in Haiti and 11 African countries.
He pointed to the U.N. World Food Program, which said last week it needs $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need but was aiming for between $10 billion to $14 billion, the amount it has received in the past few years. So far this year, however, WFP said it had received only around $5 billion and therefore 38 of 86 countries where it operates have already seen cuts or are planning cuts in food assistance soon.
Blinken also implicitly criticized China, which is the world’s second-largest economic power behind the United States, saying: “The world’s largest economies should be the world’s largest donors, for member states to consider themselves global leaders. This is your chance to prove it.”
He added that “All of us. All of us can dig deeper.”
© Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
68 Comments
RichardPearce
And when the world tells America to stop holding Russia's fertilizer and grain hostage?
wallace
Putin attacked Ukraine's grain shortage.
Global Grain Prices Soar Following Russian Attack on Ukrainian Port
https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/37837-global-grain-prices-soar-following-russian-attack-on-ukrainian-port
2020hindsights
RichardPearce
They aren’t.
bass4funk
As if they would listen to this man, funny…
Sanjinosebleed
Shut up America most people know that you are the major cause of conflict on this planet!
Blacklabel
Blinken is totally useless in any situation like this.
Eastman
RichardPearceToday 07:46 am JST
And when the world tells America to stop holding Russia's fertilizer and grain hostage?
EXACTLY.Guy saying A but "forgot" about B.
Another proof of US frustration that things are not going well in UA as planned by them...as Russia is in process of making of new deals with african countries.
Russian grain will replace ukrainian one there very easy.Partly gifted,partly heavy discounted.
This is reason why Blinken is getting "very excited" as in real nobody needs UA grain except spanish pig farmers as they need feed own pigs with cheap substandard grain...not suitable for humans but good for pigs...
Blacklabel
Blinken is totally useless in any situation like this..
Well he have not much options just bully other nations and push to not buy from Russia...especially of these countries will not pay in USD as well.Remember Ghaddafi and golden dinar?It was reason why he was killed and Libya completely destroyed.
ok1517
Well, can't deny the facts!
Fact #1: Russa invaded a soverign country = Ukraine
Fact #2: Russia looted (not only but also) Ukrainian grain
Fact #3: Russia does everything possible to hamper free passage for grain exports from Ukraine
Fact #4: Russia holds those countries who rely on the grain hostage
Fact #5: Russia blackmails the free world
Fact #6: Russia is a terrorist state with a dictator at the top!
Ukraine prevails
2020hindsights
Eastman
Basically, blackmail:
Cards fan
lol They're certainly not responsible for Russia invading Ukraine, though.
Eastman
ok1517
Ukraine prevails?
Where?
Volodymyr and co may start to bake bread and give it own citizens for free unless they dont want to throw away whole unsold harvest from last year...may be more useful.
La vie douce
When will neocons stop telling "all countries " what they should do?
Eastman
what have happened to "slava Ukraine" news?
3days in row nothing,no updates abt how many meters UA heroi have "advanced" etc...very confused...or are they no good news from UA front at all?
no instructions received how too inform and what to say yet?
well noted...
proxy
@Eastman The Ukraine has lost. The West forced it to expend its weapons and men on a useless offensive. The war is decided. The only question now is how will the peace be decided. NATO needs peace ASAP before it falls apart. Germany is deindustrializing at a worrying pace that will destroy its economy and European wealth creation for a generation. Europe needs peace, Germany needs peace, NATO needs peace, Ukraine needs peace AND Russia needs peace.
Eastman
proxyToday 11:05 am JST
@Eastman The Ukraine has lost. The West forced it to expend its weapons and men on a useless offensive. The war is decided. The only question now is how will the peace be decided. NATO needs peace ASAP before it falls apart. Germany is deindustrializing at a worrying pace that will destroy its economy and European wealth creation for a generation. Europe needs peace, Germany needs peace, NATO needs peace, Ukraine needs peace AND Russia needs peace.
I believe that I can agree with most of your points.
I wrote many times that this conflict have no military solution.as its is local conflict,its is important that will be stopped until will be not kind of global one.
Japan have to do own work and push UA for serious peace negotiations with Russia.
no more Minsk agreements tricks.
This time is no BoJo behind...world is getting tired from it.
Kuku
In addition there is no good news from the frontline... Photos of three Americans (with names) who died recently in Ukraine appeared in the Russian telegram... Soon they will be back to their homeland. It's called: to see Russia and die...
Kuku
Maria Zakharova commented on Borrel's words about Russia's attempt to "get countries hooked on their grain"
"This is some kind of farce: a year ago, Westerners shouted about the urgent need to feed the hungry, and when they fed no one but themselves, they started shouting that Russian grain was superfluous on the market," she wrote in her telegram- channel.
What happened? The cunning rat with shifty eyes and a Russian surname Blinkin and a senile Russophobe Borrel did not agree on what to say about Russian grain?
TaiwanIsNotChina
He's right, you know: the deal Russia had was with the UN so if it doesn't like what it received from that, it should complain to the UN only. Ukraine did everything they were supposed to do for their deal with the UN. Clearly Russia bombing grain silos is not conducive to world food prices.
Blacklabel
"Ukraine says density of Russian mines is ‘insane’ as it plays down counteroffensive expectations"
they have been downplaying this since it started to avoid it being seen as what it is- a failure.
So I can see why the focus has shifted to outrage about "the grain".
winter offensive?
cleo
And the easiest, simplest, fastest, most common-sense path to that peace?
Russia Go Home.
Stop invading neighbours, stop abducting children, stop destroying homes, hospitals and schools, stop trying to steal land.
And to make things nice and tidy, make sure there are no misunderstandings - sent Vlad to the Hague.
proxy
@cleo
That is not going to happen. Wishes are not horses, boots on the ground paint a different reality. I do not support any sort of war and cheerleading for more death is not going to change the reality on the ground.
Hercolobus
And what country has the most black mail by way of sanctions?
Flute
So Russia is fighting for the top spot ? In how many countries/territories coup, war, ... did them or their proxy were at play ?
JJE
The lies here are incredible.
On top of the basic fact that only a paltry 3% went to needy countries and had turned into a purely commerical deal, the US only set aside 80B for humanitarian aid worldwide but has given Kyiv 175b plus in "assistance".
But the real elephant in the room is the global commodities market and an economic concept called a "pricing environment" - put simply is when the producers of agricultural products maintain high prices artificially.
The big four - Archer Daniels Midland, Bunger, Cargill (all US) and Louis Dreyfuss (of the Netherlands) maintain a stranglehold on global commodity prices with 75% plus of the market.
This is the biggest threat/cause of starvation across the world. But let's blame Russia.
Eastman
JJE
exactly.
wallace
Russia never invests in Africa nor does it give aid.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/7/27/africa-beware-of-russias-money-promises
cleo
You've lost me. How is asking russia to go home and stop killing people 'cheerleading for more death'?
Raw Beer
Ukraine should not have used the grain deal to attack Russia, and keep their weapons and foreign soldiers at the protected port.
Even NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg admitted this war started in 2014, not 2022. And who was behind the 2014 coup? America!
wallace
If a country is invaded by another then it has the right to defend itself and expel the invader from its land. Or should the weaker country just surrender?
JJE
It is a SMO to secure the rights of the Russian speaking majority of the Donbass in absence of the implementation of the signed Minsk agreements, similar to Kosovo (in which Seriba was forced to surrender).
Blacklabel
if its been 1.5 years and 200 billion dollars of money and weapons and you have made zero progress in expelling the invaders? Yeah probably. cause you arent getting another 200 billion dollars and you wont have another 1.5 years of support as the World attention will turn to something else cause you lost their proxy war.
Get a reasonable negotiated peace instead of needlessly fighting until the last person on your team is dead. Well next to last, Zelensky will be long gone to Hollywood with bags of cash by then.
wallace
Blacklabel
What is your suggestion for ending the war?
Blacklabel
"Get a reasonable negotiated peace instead of needlessly fighting until the last person on your team is dead."
Strangerland
Yes, we MAGA think Ukraine must lay down and surrender. It's what we would do if Russia invaded America. Russia is such a strong, wonderful country, with a swoony leader.
We are MAGA, and Ukraine must surrender, unconditionally, giving up their country. We have spoken. Right brother?
cuddly
I second that.
Give Russia what is Russia's and stop instigating them.
Strangerland
Yes, and by reasonable peace, we MAGA mean that Ukraine must unconditionally surrender. It's very simple, why can't you progressives grasp that?
Right brother?
Strangerland
Yes, we've been calling for peace since day one. Russia has refused.
This is all on Russia.
Strangerland
Oops, I mean the dirty libs have been calling for peace since day one, saying it's all on Russia. We MAGA know Ukraine should just surrender like good MAGAs.
wallace
cuddly
You suggest Ukraine should surrender and hand over its land to Russia.
wallace
Blacklabel
How does that begin? A ceasefire from Putin and a withdrawal of all his troops.
Blacklabel
MAGA MAGA MAGA.
has zero to do with anything.
Ukraine needs to negotiate a peace before they are in an even weaker position and get a worse deal.
the long awaited and vaunted counteroffensive "to expel the invaders!" is obviously a failure.
If they continue this attacking civilians in Moscow thing, the best negotiation might just be that Russia owns half their country instead of the 20% they own now. ]
If they negotiate now, maybe Russia goes home as part of that. But that window is closing, fast when they drone attack civilian buildings.
Strangerland
What you libs have to realize is, if someone invaded America, there's a certain percentage we'd be willing to give up, for a ceasefire. We don't really need Alaska or Puerto Rico that much, invaders could have them. And they can have the progressives in California too, good riddance.
That's how you be invaded by another nation, by being reasonable with them. You libs just need to understand.
Right my MAGA brethren?!
Blacklabel
I believe I said "negotiated peace"
Which would have conditions, as that is what negotiation means.
and "peace" would involve the dying stopping, and also has a different meaning than "surrender".
Strangerland
Good cover brother, you hide, I'll take one for the team and wave the MAGA flag for our dear leader who had the election stolen from them by the Biden crime family. We KNOW that Hunter's laptop is the key to... something. It was even in the movie Pulp Fiction, what do you think was in the briefcase? This has been a conspiracy starting with Tarantino through the Bidens, and all the way to satan.
Blacklabel
we? arent you Canadian?
JJE
Nope. Never going to happen.
Not after these liars demonstrated they can't be trusted by not implementing the Minsk Agreements. On the contrary they cynically used Minsk as a pretext to arm themselves and wage war on the decent people of the Donbass.
Minsk broken. Grain deal broken. The list of deceptions from this regime is perplexing.
Ukraine will be forced to give up more territory - this will be the long-term price tag on their failed counter offensive.
Strangerland
Yes!
We MAGA would proudly give up 20% or so of America to stop invaders. The northeast has a whole bunch of progressives we don't need anymore.
MAGA 4eva!
Strangerland
I've found my true self, and transitioned. I now identify as a MAGA American. I even bought the clothes (my nice new red hat), and started taking the hormones (HGH and testosterone).
Blacklabel
"we" Americans would never get ourselves in such a weakened position where we had no weapons or money to defend ourselves from an invasion. Nobody is stupid enough to try.
Well unless "we" gave away too much of our military budget and all our weapons stockpiles to someone else.
Then our enemies might become "emboldened", no?
See why this while Ukraine forever thing isnt such a good idea for "us"?
Strangerland
Yes! We MAGA believe there is a way to negotiate peace with an uninvited invader who never asked permission to come in, and started killing people and stealing territory.
As long as they kept it to California, we'd be ok if invaders did that with us.
We are MAGA and we have spoken.
Strangerland
Yes, we are the strongest entity that has ever existed, and will ever exist. We are MAGA and we are infinite! It would never happen!
But if it did, we'd be ok with giving up California and the North East. Can I get an amen brother MAGA?!
Eastman
its about time to stop this conflict now.
Turkey,Israel,China,African Union,states from South America all did attempt to bring both ukrainians and russians and discuss about peace.Japan should be next.
there is no military solution for this conflict.
one and only reasonable way to solve this is peace negotiation.
somebody say to warmongers that they have made already ENOUGH of blood money,Mr.Austin do you hear me?
Jimizo
But the person who invaded was the shaking, bloated, hamster-like midget in Moscow.
Shouldn’t a peace-loving, disinterested party like yourself have more vitriol towards him?
Very revealing that you don’t.
Jimizo
*looks like a hamster only. No disrespect intended to those very likable rodents.
Strangerland
Then Russia should turn around and go home. Nothing is stopping them.
The libs are saying that if Russia stops fighting, there is no more war, if Ukraine stops fighting, there is no more Ukraine.
But we all know they should be good little Ukrainians and just surrender where things are at now. We would willingly give up part of America, those Ukrainians should be happy to give up part of their country!
We are MAGA and we have spoken.
Strangerland
We MAGA know true strength is shown through surrender. That's how they know you are tough, by giving up part of your territory to end a war. We are MAGA and surrender is peace.
JJE
Update news - RMOD minister Shogui has visited the command post for Center Grouping of Forces in former Ukraine, hearing reports from two-star general Andrey Mordvichev and his staff officers, including successful offensive efforts around Krasnoliman.
He then proceeded to inspect some captured gear, including a Swedish CV90.
Strangerland
He then proceeded to inspect some captured gear, including a Swedish CV90.
Sounds like something the Russian propaganda brigate is putting out there. Are you intentionally pushing the Russian agenda, or is it just coincidental?
Blacklabel
nothing other than they dont want to and no one has the ability to make them?
Yrral
Ukraine grain is unfit to be sold in the America,why do they want everyone else to consume,this a desperate attempt too salvage a lost cause,you may fool gullible Foreigners,as an American this is sign of desperation on Biden part, Ukraine has become a moneypit
Jimizo
The rightwing North American podcast watchers have been saying this for a long time and that the funding will soon stop.
They always get it wrong you see.
Kuku
August 2 was Airborne Forces Day in Russia. All over Russia, all AFshniks bathed in fountains, celebrating their day. No forces can stop them. Nobody! Today they are already at the front. The longer you support the slaughter at the landfill of Ukraine, the more territory Russia will return. Odessa will definitely be Russian again.
Strangerland
That's what Putin is putting out as an agenda, to show strength. But we all know Putin can't be trusted. I assume that you must have some other source for this information than Russia's state-controlled propaganda media, and aren't just pushing Russian propaganda here. ...Are you?
TaiwanIsNotChina
That's all Russia has: their worthless militarism. Even Russians don't want to be a part of their military, though, as sexual assault of recruits is par for the course.
to Ukraine
Russia already blew the dam. Is Russia going to find out what Javelins can do to their armor again trying to trek there the long way? And that's if they still have the maps to their minefields and Ukraine doesn't lay an equal number of mines in front of them.
Kuku
What does Putin and the media have to do with it? And me the same. I'm a simple person from the streets:)))This is the opinion of the people, expressed in different ways. The Russian people are very determined. And I don't recognize you today. Either drunk, or finally got the coveted Canadian citizenship
Strangerland
Well, we all know that Putin's state media has zero credibility insofar as reporting truth, right?
So everything of course.
Strangerland
Why you try to cancel me? Do you even MAGA bro?
Free speech haters.
TokyoLiving
Counteroffensive is a farse!!!..
LOOOOOL!!!..