War in Ukraine: Emmanuel Macron warns of the looming “unprecedented food crisis”

Emmanuel Macron is worried about the consequences of the war in Ukraine on world food security and asks Russia to take a step to avoid a famine. One crisis can hide another. This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron spoke from Brussels after a G7 summit focused on the war in Ukraine. He notably estimated that the world is “entering into an unprecedented food crisis”. “Other countries are very dependent to feed their population on what is produced today in Russia and Ukraine. The war in Ukraine and the choices that have been made by Russia, extremely serious and irresponsible, mean that countries like Egypt (…) have difficulty obtaining supplies of wheat and more generally of cereals,” said explained the Head of State. Emmanuel Macron added that the war makes it “impossible for the moment to sow as it should”. A situation which could therefore worsen the food situation in the “12 to 18 months” according to the French president. “This situation will create a food crisis, serious humanitarian situations in several countries and for sure massive political consequences”, he regretted. Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the Head of State has called on Moscow to respect several commitments to avoid a “famine” which would otherwise be “unavoidable”. Emmanuel Macron is thus calling for a “rapid ceasefire , (…) the lifting of export restrictions on foodstuffs (…) and the possibility of sowing”. Whether this prospect could bring Russia back to the negotiating table remains to be seen.