Attacks on Ukraine’s trade routes threaten global food security: Access to food should not be another weapon of war
As we commemorate World Food Day on 16 October, we should remember that around the globe, more than 600 million people face hunger. The disastrous impact of El Nino leaves many regions without crops and livelihood. At the same time, waging its war of aggression, Russia is choking off Ukraine’s transport of grain across the Black Sea, the Danube River and overland, threatening the food security of millions of people across the globe.
Access to food should not be another weapon of war
As we commemorate World Food Day on 16 October, we should remember that around the globe, more than 600 million people face hunger. The disastrous impact of El Nino leaves many regions without crops and livelihood.
At the same time, waging its war of aggression, Russia is choking off Ukraine’s transport of grain across the Black Sea, the Danube River and overland. Russia’s deliberate attacks on commercial shipping, ports, warehouses and agricultural infrastructure are striking at Ukraine’s ability to trade with the world. This aggression is threatening the food security of millions of people across the globe.
Disruptions to trade, maritime routes and energy markets reverberate far beyond the immediate conflict zone as the concurrent crisis in the Middle East demonstrates. The most vulnerable countries and communities are the least able to absorb another shock to food prices and supplies. These disruptions also ripple across the ocean to Papua New Guinea.
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine had supplied 15% of the world’s corn, 10% of its wheat, and 50% of its sunflower oil. As Ukraine entered its harvest season this summer, attacks on ports and transport routes trapped its agricultural products inside the country. In August, grain exports were cut by half compared to the previous year. As a result, international prices have started rising. By October, Ukraine risks running out of storage capacity. By November, more than 9 million tonnes of grain, oilseeds and meals may rot outside. A harvest that contributes to feeding global markets could be lost, affecting global food supplies well into 2027.
That is why the European Union is stepping up support. Since May 2022, the EU Solidarity Lanes have been critical to Ukraine’s economic resilience and provided an alternative route for Ukrainian grain exports. However, these measures can only mitigate the consequences. They cannot substitute for safe navigation in the Black Sea, which handles 90% of Ukrainian agricultural exports.
Attacks against grain export facilities, infrastructure and shipping in the Black Sea must urgently stop. Access to food should not be another weapon of war. A ceasefire leading to peace is needed to end the daily suffering of Ukrainians, and it is in the interest of everyone who depends on a stable, open and predictable global food system. Ukraine has demonstrated its readiness for a just and lasting peace, beginning with a full and unconditional ceasefire.
Geographically, Ukraine and the Pacific are far apart, but the geopolitical stakes do not stop at oceans and distances. Support to multilateralism and respect of peace, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are core principles of Papua New Guinea and countries of the Pacific, guided by the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration. Pacific leaders have long made it clear: global disputes must be resolved through dialogue, in pursuit of long-lasting peace and security.
The international community must continue to press Russia for a ceasefire and negotiated peace. Let us help make peace a reality in Ukraine by increasing pressure on Russia to negotiate and bring the war to an end. The EU greatly values how Papua New Guinea stands up for international law and consistently voices their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty on the global stage, and calls on Papua New Guinea to keep standing with the European Union; standing with Ukraine, together.
Erika Hasznos, European Union Ambassador to Papua New Guinea
