Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Putin: 'We will guarantee the safe passage' of grain 'with no problems'

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he is ready to support the smooth export of Ukrainian grain via the country's Black Sea ports.
"You are quite welcome to export [wheat] via sea ports under Ukrainian control, first of all via the Black Sea ports: Odesa and the nearby ports," said Putin at a meeting with the African Union.

His remarks come amidst a global food crisis, which is being aggravated by Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.

Moscow has been accused of fueling food price rises across the world by preventing Ukraine from exporting cereals and fertilizers. However, the Russian president denies his country is blockading Ukraine.

African Union head Macky Sall told Putin that African countries have become the innocent victims of the war in Ukraine.

The Senegalese president, who met with Putin in the Russian city of Sochi on behalf of the 55-member body representing the African continent, said Russia should help ease their suffering.

Africa relies on Russia and Ukraine for more than 40 percent of its wheat, a major food staple across the continent.

The war has exacerbated already existing shortages in Africa caused by bad harvests and insecurity.

Already the ensuing price rises have worsened food insecurity, with the UN's crisis coordinator Amin Awad warning that "failure to open those ports will result in famine."

He added that a grain shortage in Africa could affect 1.4 billion people and trigger mass migration.

After their talks, Sall told journalists "I found Vladimir Putin committed and aware that the crisis and sanctions create serious problems for weak economies, such as African economies.”

Sall continued that he was leaving Russia feeling "very reassured and very happy with our exchanges."

The Russian leader also responded to allegations that Russia has been laying mines to prevent ships from sailing in the Black Sea.

"We didn't mine the Ukrainian ports — it was Ukraine," he claimed. "I've told our colleagues many times, let them clear the mines so the ships loaded with wheat can leave these ports, we will guarantee their safe passage with no problems."

In April, the UK Ministry of Defense said it has "high confidence" Russian activity set the anti-ship mines adrift, although this is not definitive.

After saying he was ready to assist the safe export of Ukrainian grain via ports on the Azov and Black seas Russia controls, Putin said the best solution would be to lift sanctions on Belarus, a staunch Russian ally, so that grain could be shipped that way.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he is open to allowing Ukraine's grain to travel through his country to reach Baltic Sea ports.

But it is on the condition that Belarusian goods can be exported from these ports too. Belarus is currently under international sanctions for its role in the Ukraine war.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×