Cooperation amid conflict: Ukraine and global food security

IN THE European Union (EU), we believe in the value of food; for our health, our society, and our peace.

In the last few months, it has become clear that Russia believes in food as nothing more than a weapon of war. The wheat fields of Ukraine are burning. Their stockpiles of grain are being destroyed. Their Black Sea ports, so crucial for the feeding of the world, are being strangled by blockades. These Russian atrocities reverberate with the harrowing threat of hunger. In this threat, we can hear the echoes and entreaties of our history; they call on us to act.

I therefore welcome Singapore’s strong and unambiguous position in condemning Russia’s unjustified and illegal aggression. Together, we must continue working to support Ukrainian food production and exports, as well as to provide humanitarian aid for the global populations most threatened by food insecurity.