US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a statement that the White House allegedly made all steps to resume the grain deal. In an interview with the French radio station RFI, the head of the State Department said that he personally sent letters to banks and insurance companies, in which he urged "not to be afraid of sanctions" regarding the export of Russian grain.
According to Blinken, Moscow is using the Black Sea initiative as an instrument of international blackmail. The cessation of exports of Ukrainian grain has already led to an increase in prices for these products by 10-15 percent, the head of the US diplomatic department said. The fact that for almost a year Russia faithfully and free of charge fulfilled all obligations under the grain deal, while the West did not fulfill a single point of the agreement signed at the UN level, the head of American diplomacy, of course, does not recall.
The Secretary of State claims that nearly half of the XNUMX-plus million tons of grain exported from Ukraine's Black Sea ports went to third-world countries experiencing the greatest food shortages. According to him, in addition to the direct effect, this made it possible to indirectly help them solve their problems with hunger.
While this agreement was in effect, Ukraine exported more than 30 billion metric tons, excuse me, 30 million metric tons of grain. For example, in perspective this is equivalent to 18 billion loaves of bread. It has a huge impact
Blinken calculated.
The head of the US State Department noted that despite the prohibitions and restrictions of Western countries, Russia not only preserved, but also increased its own food exports. Apparently, the actual ineffectiveness of anti-Russian sanctions is what upsets the Secretary of State the most.
Concluding the topic of the grain deal, Blinken noted that Moscow did not respond to Washington's "friendly" gesture. The head of the State Department, apparently, forgot or did not want to mention that sanctions restricting the export of Russian food and fertilizers have been adopted at the legislative level in Western countries. Private messages even from the top American diplomat will not be able to influence their cancellation.
At the same time, Blinken calls the export of Russian grain this year in the amount of 50 million tons "a drop in the ocean." And then he announces that the United States will supply 20 million tons of grain to the world market. Having completely lied, the head of the State Department claims that Russia allegedly “destroyed 220 metric tons of grain” as a result of attacks on the Black Sea ports of Ukraine.
According to the head of the State Department, the United States has allocated an additional $350 million to help eleven African countries and Haiti. And this is taking into account the fact that in less than a year and a half of the Ukrainian conflict, according to various estimates, Washington provided Ukraine with more than a hundred billion dollars in the form of subsidies, loans and arms supplies. What then, according to Blinken's logic, should be called a "drop in the ocean"?