Ukraine war: Russia's grain deal pullout will 'worsen world hunger', say Western leaders
There's been an outcry to Russia's decision to pull out of a key UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal, dealing a blow to attempts to ease a global food crisis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was trying to create an artificial famine in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, calling for a strong response from the United Nations and the G20 major economies.
The European Union called on Russia to reverse its decision to pull out of the deal, while US President Joe Biden said the move was "purely outrageous" and would increase starvation.
Moscow said on Saturday it was suspending its participation in the agreement, which allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce, after Ukrainian attacks on ships in Crimea.
The deal has seen more than nine million tonnes of grain exported from Ukraine during the war and has brought down soaring global food prices.
"This is a completely transparent attempt by Russia to return to the threat of large-scale famine for Africa, for Asia," Zelenskyy said in a video address, calling for Russia to be kicked out of the G20.
On Sunday Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba took to Twitter to accuse Russia of pre-planning its move and creating a "false pretext of explosions 200 kilometers away from the grain corridor".
The EU accused Moscow of putting at risk supply routes to address the global food crisis caused by its war in Ukraine.
"Russia's decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea deal puts at risk the main export route of much needed grain and fertilisers to address the global food crisis caused by its war against Ukraine," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter.
"Any act by Russia to disrupt these critical grain exports is essentially a statement that
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