Russia ‘ready to let Ukraine export food’ as crisis warnings mount

Moscow suggests it could end blockade of Black Sea ports under international pressure

Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, Moscow’s deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over a global food shortage due to the war.

Russia’s invasion has sparked a global food crisis that the UN has warned could starve millions and lead to civil unrest in hunger-prone countries.

Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports, stopping exports from one of the world’s biggest grain producers and sending food prices skyrocketing around the world.