Russia’s withdrawal from the Ukraine grain deal is weaponising hunger

In 2022, weeks after Russia re-invaded Ukraine, we warned of the risk to food supplies in Ukraine and beyond.1 Since then, the importance of food in this conflict has intensified, with clear lessons for the international community facing an ever more uncertain world. We draw two main lessons from these events.The first is that the international community must make clear that it will uphold in international law, the prohibition of attacks on food supplies.2 The destruction of Mariupol, one of Ukraine’s most important ports, had immediate consequences for the country’s ability to export grain. While Russia might argue that this was secondary to its military aim to capture territory, there was little doubt that a primary aim of minelaying in the Sea of Azov was to disrupt grain exports. This gave Russia control over the gateway to the Black Sea and a diplomatic tool that could be used in “back-channel”…
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