▲ Ugo Astuto, ambassador of the European Union to South Korea, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul, in this file photo from June 26, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ A combine harvester works in a field with part of the wheat burned after a drone attack in the Zaporizhzhia area of Ukraine, in this EPA file photo from July 23, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (Yonhap)

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is threatening global food security by disrupting Ukraine's ability to export grain to international markets, the European Union's (EU) ambassador to South Korea said Tuesday, calling for a "full and unconditional ceasefire."

Ugo Astuto, the EU ambassador to South Korea, made the call in an op-ed published by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

"Russia is choking off Ukraine's options for transport of grain across the Black Sea, the Danube River and overland corridors," Astuto wrote. "Its deliberate attacks on commercial shipping, ports, inland logistics, warehouses and agricultural infrastructure are striking at Ukraine's ability to trade with the world."

The ambassador warned the attacks were threatening the food security of "millions of people across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America," saying the blockade of the Black Sea would affect global food markets, drive up food prices in many countries and make life harder for millions of people.

Ukraine's grain exports fell by half in August from a year earlier, while international prices had already risen as a result of the attacks, he noted.

The situation could worsen in the coming months, with more than 9 million tonnes of grain, oilseeds and meals potentially remaining outside available storage by November, Astuto said, warning that if farmers are unable to sell their crops, they could lack the cash needed for the next planting season, further reducing supplies.

"This matters in a world where an estimated 645 million people face hunger," the ambassador said. "The most vulnerable countries and communities are the least able to absorb another shock to food prices and supplies."

Ukraine has long been a major supplier of agricultural products to global markets, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. Before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine accounted for 15 percent of global corn exports, 10 percent of wheat exports, 15-20 percent of barley exports and 50 percent of sunflower oil exports, according to Astuto.

The EU has supported Ukraine's grain exports through the Solidarity Lanes since May 2022, but Astuto said the routes cannot replace the Black Sea, which handles about 90 percent of Ukraine's agricultural exports.

"These measures can only mitigate the consequences. They cannot substitute for safe navigation in the Black Sea," he said.

Astuto called for a moratorium on attacks against grain export facilities, infrastructure and shipping in the Black Sea, as well as international pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire and enter peace negotiations.

"The international community should not allow access to food to become another weapon of war," he wrote. "Ukraine has shown its readiness for a just and lasting peace, beginning with a full and unconditional ceasefire."

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]