Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday that the Russian blockade imposed on Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea could lead to the loss of tens of millions of tons of grain, which “could trigger a food crisis” that could affect Europe, Africa and Asia. The Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture on Monday formalized the closure of its four ports controlled by Russian forces, while President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the blockade imposed by Moscow could lead to the loss of tens of millions of tons of grain. The ports of Mariupol, Berdyansk and Skadovsk on the Sea of Azov, as well as the port of Kherson, on the Black Sea – whose activities have been suspended since the start of the Russian offensive on February 24 – are closed “until restoration of Ukrainian control over these infrastructures, the ministry said in a statement. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Monday that the blockade imposed by Russian forces at the level of the Black Sea could result in the loss of tens of millions of tons of cereals. “Russia, which controls the Black Sea, does not let ships in or out,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Australian TV news magazine 60 Minutes. In an Australian-exclusive interview with #60Mins, Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the horrors he has seen, the threat to Europe of a nuclear attack and what it feels like to have a target on his head. https://t.co/TXvMENVIXA— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) May 2, 2022 “Russia wants to completely shut down our country’s economy,” he added. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of agricultural products, especially cereals, and this situation could therefore contribute to triggering a food crisis that could affect Europe, Africa and Asia.