New Delhi:

Russia “must stop” its blockade of Ukrainian seaports after pulling out of a United Nations and Turkey-mediated deal to ensure grain shipments, the president of the European Council Charles Michel said Friday.

“It’s frankly scandalous that Russia, after having terminated the Black Sea grain initiative, is blocking and attacking Ukrainian ports. This must stop,” Michel told reporters in India’s capital of New Delhi, ahead of a G20 summit.

Russia pulled out of the grain agreement in July after claiming that it had failed to fulfil the goal of relieving hunger in Africa.

Tensions have built in the region since, with Russia mounting attacks on Ukrainian export hubs and Kyiv’s forces targeting Moscow’s naval ports and warships.

The Kremlin has since asked Turkey to help Russia export its grain to African countries without any involvement from Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow is just weeks away from supplying free grain to six African countries.

“The Kremlin’s offer of one million tonnes of grain to Africa is absolutely cynical,” Michel said.

“Ships with grains need to have safe access to the Black Sea,” he said, noting that the UN initiative had initially delivered 32 million tonnes to the market, “especially to developing countries”.

Ukraine and Russia are major exporters of grain and seed oil.

Last year’s grain agreement helped push down global food prices and provide Ukraine with an important source of revenue to fight the war.

Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s shipping infrastructure.

“Over 250 million people face acute food insecurity worldwide, and by deliberately attacking Ukraine’s seaports, the Kremlin is depriving them of the food they desperately need,” Michel added.

Putin is not attending — or even planning to make a video address at — the G20 in India, with relations between Moscow and many members of the bloc fraught over the war in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will take Putin’s place at the summit this weekend.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

European Council President Charles Michel arrived on Thursday to participate in the G20 Summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 9-10.

President Michel was received by Prahalad Singh Patel, Minister of Jal Shakti and Minister of Food Processing Industries at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here.

Earlier in the day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also arrived in Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit. She was received by the Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Anupriya Singh Patel.

India and the EU have a common interest in ensuring security, prosperity and sustainable development in a multi-polar world. Both India and the EU agreed to further build on these convergences and foster new synergies for jointly contributing to a safer, greener, cleaner, more digital, resilient and stable world, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.

The EU is India’s 2nd-largest trading partner (after the US) and India’s 2nd-largest export market. India is the EU’s 10th largest trading partner, accounting for 2 per cent of EU total trade in goods.

Trade in services between the EU and India reached 40 billion euros in 2021.

India has geared up to host the G20 Leader’s Summit in New Delhi at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam on September 9 and 10.

Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face.

The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

Earlier, in an interview with ANI, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the G20 is not an international peace and security forum. The G20 is about global growth and development, so we will be taking a global view.

Mr Jaishankar further said that the world is changing and the G20 itself is actually the best statement of it, which is today viewed as the premier global forum. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)