The war in Ukraine has sent food, fuel and fertilizer prices soaring to record levels in many parts of the world, leaving some of the world’s poorest countries vulnerable to food insecurity.
Ukraine and Russian Federation Provides about 30% of the world’s wheat and barleyone-fifth of cornand More than half of the sunflower oil. Russia is the world’s first The largest exporter of natural gas and the second largest exporter of oil.
According to the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development, smallholder farmers have been unable to keep up with the global price increases caused by the war, leaving them unable to pay for machine fuel and fertilizers.
Parts of Africa, the Near East and Central Asia were hardest hit by the price shock, the UN said. In Somalia, many farmers rely on diesel engines for irrigation: high fuel prices coupled with drought have experts worried about famine.
“The dislocation in global markets is completely shaking up the food system,” IFAD President Gilbert F. Hombo said in a statement. “This is especially worrying for countries already grappling with the impacts of climate change and COVID-19, where more people could be pushed further into poverty and hunger.
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► The International Atomic Energy Agency said it received remote data from Ukraine’s Chernobyl power plant for the first time in two months after disruption caused by Russia’s occupation of the site.
► U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the U.S. and its allies’ ban on the sale of semiconductors and other technology to Russia is seriously affecting Russia’s ability to manufacture military equipment.
Finnish leaders back NATO application
Finland’s leader announced on Thursday that the Nordic, neutral and militarily non-aligned country should apply “without delay” to join the NATO defence alliance.
The move would support a 30-nation military pact and redraw Europe’s geopolitical geography. Finnish public support for joining the alliance surged after Russia invaded Ukraine. Neighboring Sweden may also apply.
“As a NATO member, Finland will strengthen the entire defence alliance,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a statement.
They said they hoped applications would be submitted within the next few days.
Finland’s parliament will vote on the matter early next week, Finnish European Affairs Minister Titi Tupleinen said in an interview in Washington on Wednesday. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia.
“We want to defend our freedom and equality,” Tupleinen said. “It’s not just about territory and borders. This war is also about values and ideology.”
— Kim Hjelmgaard, Deirdre Shesgreen and Maureen Groppe
Ukrainian general says Russia still wants to occupy Kyiv
Russia still has plans to take control of the Ukrainian capital, a Ukrainian general said on Wednesday.
Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov told a briefing that Russian troops will try to attack Kyiv and plan to take control of the southern Mykolaiv and Odessa regions to create a land corridor to Moldova in the separatist region of Transnistria.
Khromov also said that Russia would try to hold sham elections in occupied Ukrainian territory to annex it to Russia.Russian-designated authorities have Announced plans to seek annexation in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.
Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to seize the capital at the start of the invasion, but Russian forces have since refocused their attention on the competitive eastern Donbass.
Contributed by: Associated Press