Washington's weaponizing food hurts world

Although the United States and its allies have not put Russian fertilizer and grains on their sanctions list, Russia's exports of these products are still affected by the "chilling effect" of the US-led sanctions on Russia, as most international traders are afraid to buy them from Russia for fear of being subject to sanctions themselves.

Although the US and its allies have lifted financial restrictions on Russian exports of grains and fertilizers, the issue of freight restrictions remains unresolved. Russian ships are still barred from going to key ports in the Mediterranean, while foreign ships have been barred from going to Russian ports to pick up food and other goods. The West has in effect blocked Russia's exports of fertilizers and grains to the world.

Yet as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at a news conference on Saturday after his visit to the joint coordination center in Istanbul that is overseeing exports of Ukrainian grain, Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to reach world markets "unimpeded" or a global food crisis could strike as early as next year. His call that "it is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market" demands a positive response and strong support.