France condemns Russia over grain ship attack

France condemned in the strongest terms on Monday the Russian strike on a Ukrainian grain ship in the Black Sea, which was heading to Egypt last Thursday. A statement by the French Foreign Ministry said "Russia continues to endanger the food security of millions of people after carrying out repeated strikes against the Ukrainian port infrastructure that allows the export of grain." The statement added that "the aggressive war launched by Russia against Ukraine" has significantly exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition in the world, stressing that this "blackmail in the field of food security has been burdening vulnerable population groups around the world for more than two and a half years." The statement noted that the conference organized by Ukraine on September 4 as part of its peace formula is a reminder of the consequences of "Russian aggression" on food security. The statement stressed that France's continued commitment to global food security, noting that since 2022 it has provided financial su pport to the World Food Program within the framework of the "Grain from Ukraine" initiative to enable the delivery of Ukrainian wheat and agricultural products to more than 6.62 million people in Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Palestine. Source: Kuwait News Agency