The Russian ambassador stormed out of a meeting of the United Nations Security Council after a top European Union official accused Moscow of deliberately creating a global food crisis by blocking exports from Ukraine. Ukraine is a major exporter of foodstuffs, including cooking oil and some sends 6 million tons of grain a month through its Black Sea ports, which are now blockaded by Russia. In a particularly ill-tempered meeting in New York, Charles Michel, president of the European Council, personally addressed the Russian envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, to accuse the Kremlin of using the looming food crisis as a “stealth missile against developing countries.” He went on: “The dramatic consequences of Russia’s war are spilling over across the globe, and this is driving up food prices, pushing people into poverty, and destabilizing entire regions. Russia is solely responsible for this food crisis.” As Nebenzia walked out in protest, Michel called out: “You may leave the room, maybe it’s easier not to listen to the truth.”
