UN chief says war in Ukraine inflamed global food crisis

ANKARA

The UN secretary-general on Wednesday said the ongoing war in Ukraine has inflamed the global food crisis.

At a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Antonio Guterres said the war has also worsened the energy and financial crises, hitting the most vulnerable countries and economies.

He said urgent decisions are needed to ensure that Ukrainian grain and Russian fertilizers reach global markets.

The UN chief thanked Sweden for its unwavering support to the UN and multilateralism.

On Tuesday, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told journalists that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts over the phone about exporting Ukrainian agricultural products by sea.

Andersson, for her part, slammed the Russian attack on Ukraine, terming it an “unjustified, clear violation of international law.”

Accusing Russia of committing war crimes against the civilian population, she added: “Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”

Asked about Ankara’s stance over the country’s NATO bid, Andersson said she looks forwards to further constructive meetings with Türkiye.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO on May 18, a decision spurred by Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24.

But Türkiye, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to their membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups such as the YPG/PKK and FETO. The accession requires unanimous approval from all 30 NATO member states.

Last week, Türkiye hosted Swedish and Finnish delegations in Ankara for consultations on their NATO applications. Erdogan later said the meetings had not been “at the desired level.”