The UN is unable to verify accusations raised by Kiev against Moscow of “stealing” and exporting Ukrainian grain, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, has said.
Asked about the claims by a reporter during a news briefing on Tuesday, Dujarric said that neither the UN Secretary-General’s office nor the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had any credible information on the matter.
“We’ve seen recent media reports, we’re talking to our colleagues at WFP. They have no way of verifying these allegations. I think WFP, as we all have, has been advocating for a free movement of food from the Black Sea to ensure that the needs of people around the world are met,” the official stated.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of “stealing” its stockpiles of wheat amid the ongoing conflict that broke out in late February. Most recently, such accusations were flung at Russia by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar.