Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continue under suspicious signs. The war is warned to lead to a global food crisis.
30.3. 05:34 • Updated March 30th. 19:56
We gathered the key news from last night and last night in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyi: Positive signs in negotiations
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in a video speech Tuesday night that there are positive signs in talks with Russia. At the same time, however, Zelenskyi warned that Russia could not be trusted.
– Ukrainians are not naive people, Zelenskyi said.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine will continue negotiations but is not ready to compromise on the country’s independence and territorial integrity.
Russia announced on Tuesday, following talks in Turkey, that it would withdraw its troops from the vicinity of both Kiev and Chernivtsi. The U.S. Department of Defense, among others, has recently expressed skepticism about the withdrawal of troops. Spokesman for the Pentagon John Kirby stated at a briefing on Tuesday that the number of troops transferred is small and that redeployment is underway instead of a real withdrawal.
– We must all be prepared for a major attack in other parts of Ukraine. That doesn’t mean the threat to Kiev has receded, Kirby said.
World Food Program Director: Ukraine’s war could lead to a global food crisis
War in Ukraine could cause a food crisis like no other since World War II, warned WFP chief David Beasley. Speaking to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Beasley said the already high price of food threatens to rise explosively, as Ukraine is one of the world’s major wheat producers. Now, instead of working in the fields, Ukrainian farmers are fighting against Russia.
The UN-led WFP fed 125 million people worldwide before the war, but with food and fuel prices rising, the price tag for operations is rising by $ 850 million a year.
“It means that four million people will be left without our help,” Beasley added.
Beasley also warned that the war in Ukraine must not lead to the neglect of food needs in Africa and the Middle East, as it could contribute to large-scale migration to Europe.
Mines drifting into the Black Sea threaten shipping
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of sea mines drifting into the Black Sea, threatening shipping. According to the Russian army, old mines set up by the Ukrainians to protect their coasts have come off their anchors and drifted into the sea.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, for its part, accuses Russia of deliberately sending old Ukrainian mines to sea.
Mines have drifted off the coast of Turkey, at least.