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The News in Brief

Friday, May 27, 2022
Prepared by The Messenger Staff

Resolving the Food Crisis in Exchange for Lifting Sanctions - Putin Promises

Russia is ready to contribute to alleviating the international food crisis if Western sanctions are lifted. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

“Vladimir Putin has stressed that Russia is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis by exporting grain and fertilizers if politically motivated restrictions from the West are lifted,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Ukraine calls Russia's position ‘blackmail’. British Foreign Secretary Liz Tras said Putin was "asking the world for ransom" as a tool for the food crisis created by the war with Ukraine.

Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports halts grain shipments. The main exporters are Russia and Ukraine.

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said that civilian ships could safely use the Sea of Azov port in Mariupol. Russia claims that the threat of a mine explosion near the port has been eliminated.