The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s (PACE) resolution condemning the use of starvation as a method of warfare highlights Ukraine’s role in global food security, the need to support Ukraine’s maritime corridor, and measures to prevent the sale of grain stolen by Russia from temporarily occupied territories.
The resolution’s rapporteur, Ukrainian lawmaker Larysa Bilozir, said this in a comment to Ukrinform.
“This is an important resolution for Ukraine. It took nearly two years to prepare. Food and agricultural products are highly sensitive issues for Council of Europe member states because they affect their farmers and domestic production. But for us, the issue has another dimension – Ukraine helps ensure food security not only in Europe but also in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia,” Bilozir said.
According to her, it was essential to demonstrate that Ukraine’s agricultural sector plays a crucial role in global food stability, as before the full-scale war Ukraine helped feed around 400 million people worldwide.
“Russia has weaponized food and is now blackmailing the entire world. We clearly stated that it uses food supplies to buy the loyalty of other countries and expand its influence in North Africa and the Middle East. We emphasized the need to support and strengthen the protection of our ports, as well as build specialized shelters for vessels,” the lawmaker said.
