UK accuses Russia of using global food security as blackmail weapon in Ukraine war

MADRID, 29 May. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The British government has accused Russia this Sunday of risking world food security after denouncing Moscow for blocking Ukrainian grain exports during the invasion as a blackmail weapon to force the surrender of kyiv and manipulate public opinion.

"Russia has shown that it is prepared to take advantage of global food security for its own political purpose and then present itself as the reasonable actor and blame the West for any failure," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

London also accuses Russia of unfairly placing demining tasks in the Black Sea on Ukraine's shoulders to facilitate the departure of food ships.

"It is a request that follows a basic principle of modern Russian messaging strategy: to introduce alternative, albeit unconvincing, narratives to complicate audiences' understanding," the Ministry added.

The Ministry admits that Ukraine has deployed maritime minima in these waters but has done so "because of the continuing and credible threat of Russian amphibious assaults from the Black Sea."