Washington’s sanctions cause serious problems for importers of agricultural products

WASHINGTON, Jul.14 (ST)-Washington’s unilateral sanctions, which have broken supply chains, cause serious problems for importers of agricultural products, the Russian embassy said on Wednesday.

“Washington is extensively using illegitimate unilateral sanctions called to block our country’s trade and economic cooperation with the rest of the world. It is set to continue to break supply chains. The result is that importer states are having serious problems with deliveries of agricultural products,” it said.

According to the embassy, Washington’s allegations that Russia is using food exports as a political weapon indicate that it is seeking to squeeze Russia from the global food market.

Moreover, “allegations that Russia is hindering the export of agricultural products from Ukraine by sea are beyond any criticism,” it stressed. “Our country in no way is hindering export. Responsibility rests on Kiev authorities, who have mined the Black Sea waters.”

“Russia will continue to implement its liabilities under international contracts and sell food and fertilizers to other countries, despite the West’s attempt to impede it,” it added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that the global food crisis had broken out long before the Russian special military operation in Ukraine and had been caused by the coronavirus pandemic and Western countries’ mistakes. According to Lavrov, the current situation has only aggravated the problem, and the West’s sanctions have entailed breaks in supply chains.

Source: TASS