The European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a joint statement Monday clarifying that Russian banks, insurers, shippers and others can continue to bring Russian food and fertilizer into the world to ensure food security despite sanctions imposed on Russia following its attack on Ukraine.
The three powers have called on their global partners, and actors, industries and services involved in agricultural trade to take note of these provisions and act accordingly to bring Ukrainian and Russian food and fertilizers to meet acute demand and to continue to advance food accessibility.
This statement recognizes that the world is facing serious food and nutrition challenges and that conflict, climate change and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are having devastating effects on local and global food systems and the people who depend on them, a situation made worse by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, along with other G7 members and international partners, recall that they are «at the forefront» of global efforts to address the food insecurity that is affecting millions of vulnerable people in developing countries, while increasing the cost of living in their own territories.
In this regard, they recall that they have always been clear that the target of the sanctions is Russia’s war machine and not the food or fertilizer sectors, so with this joint statement they intend to provide «clarity» to industry and partners. This includes the publication by the UK of a General License, the US General License 6B; as well as updated and detailed guidance from the EU.
They have also reiterated their call for all countries to demonstrate their support for the Black Sea Grains Initiative and called on the parties to the Initiative to extend its timeframe and increase their operations to meet the evident demand. They also recalled their support for other UN efforts to facilitate access to food and fertilizer on world markets.
Finally, they noted that they continue to work with their partners to mobilize the international community, for example, through the UN-led Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on Food, Energy and Finance, the G7 Global Partnership for Food Security (GAFS), the Roadmap – Call to Action and the EU-led Solidarity Routes.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had confirmed the organization’s contacts with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union with a view to removing possible «obstacles» to exports of Russian products, since although not directly targeted by the sanctions, they do suffer «indirect impacts».
The head of the United Nations said he was confident that, once various nuances had been clarified, the agreement to export grain from Ukraine, whose period of validity expires this Friday and is «extremely important» for world food security, could be extended.
