EU to roll out plan to address global famine, political turmoil linked to Ukraine war

BRUSSELS

The EU's foreign policy chief will present a plan next month addressing the geopolitical implications of the war in Ukraine, including the risk of political instability and food insecurity, he said on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference following the meeting of EU development ministers, Josep Borrell said that a new plan "to deal with the geopolitical consequences of the war" in Ukraine will be presented to foreign affairs ministers at their next meeting in June.

He explained that the war in Ukraine, especially the Russian army's strategy to destroy fields and block grain shipments, had created a global food crisis.

"An estimated 193 million people in 53 countries were facing acute food insecurity," Borrell stated.

Referring to the ministers' discussions with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Borrell said the global number of refugees and internally displaced people might exceed 100 million this year.

According to Borrell, following the COVID-19 pandemic and "the vaccine diplomacy, now we are entering into the period of food diplomacy" where the EU would have to make significant efforts.

On the one hand, the bloc will need to counter Russia's narrative that blames the sanctions for the food shortage instead of their own deliberate actions, he explained.

On the other, the EU has to boost humanitarian assistance to crisis regions, such as Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, Borrell added.

"We know that this situation can create political instability and turmoil," he warned, stressing that EU member states must "scale up" their support to avoid further crises.