Futures on wheat on the Chicago Exchange increased by 1%, reaching the highest level since November 16, Financial Times said. According to the newspaper, the reason is Russian strikes in Odessa, which caused concern for the supply from the fifth largest wheat exporter in the world - Ukraine.
The UN also acknowledged that Russian shelling could significantly affect the grain industry of Ukraine in the long run. In particular, according to the UN World Food Program, if Russia continues to attack the production of grain and port capacities of Ukraine, wheat production may not be satisfied with both domestic and external demand, and this may take years to solve the problem.
At the same time, the UN accused Russia of trying to arrange a famine of a planetary scale. Comparing Putin's actions with the actions of the Secretary General Stalin, the head of the US delegation at the UN, Landa Thomas Grinfield, said Putin was using food as a war weapon, similar to Stalin, and this could lead to a global food crisis.
