Blinken: Russia's War Contributes to Sri Lanka Crisis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that Russia's restrictions on Ukraine's grain exports may have contributed to Sri Lanka's turmoil, expressing concern that it may cause another crisis.

"We're seeing the impact of this Russian aggression playing out everywhere. It may have contributed to the situation in Sri Lanka; we're concerned about the implications around the world," Blinken told reporters in Bangkok.

Renewing a demand he had made repeatedly, the US secretary called on Russia to allow an estimated 20 million tons of grain to leave Ukraine, which Moscow invaded in February.

"What we are seeing around the world is growing food insecurity that has been significantly exacerbated by the Russian aggression against Ukraine," Blinken said.

There has also been an impact in Thailand, he noted, where fertilizer prices have skyrocketed due to the blockade.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United Nations announced more than once the danger of a food crisis in the world due to the lack of grain. The West accused Russia of obstructing Ukraine’s grain supply to world markets.

On its part, Moscow rejected these accusations completely. Nevertheless, the Kyiv authorities themselves put many obstacles in the way of exporting their grain.

In addition to burning the warehouses with grain in the port of Mariupol, the Ukrainian forces planted mines in the waters of the Black Sea, which impedes the transportation of grain to world markets by sea.