The United Nations Security Council and foreign ministers will meet in emergency session in New York next week to concentrate on ways to address the food-insecurity challenges caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has announced.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement at a briefing with news media May 15 during a trip to Berlin. The DOS released a transcript of Blinken's remarks at that time; Blinken was in Germany to meet with NATO leaders and European allies to continue coordinated efforts to support Ukraine, the DOS reports.
Blinken said NATO remains "fully engaged, aligned, committed to supporting a democratic, independent, and sovereign Ukraine," the transcript records. Blinken both the strength and resilience of Ukrainians and the unity of NATO members has been noticed around the world, including by Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to the transcript.
"President Putin launched this brutal and unprovoked war thinking he could eliminate Ukraine as an independent country and divide NATO," Blinken said. "Instead, he’s only reinforced Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence as Ukraine has chased the Russian army away from Kyiv. NATO is stronger, more capable, more unified than ever."
Blinken spoke on allied efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the millions of Ukrainians who have fled their country and military support to Ukrainian defense.
"The United States and our allies and partners are focused on giving Ukraine as strong a hand as possible on the battlefield," Blinken said, "and at any negotiating table, so that it can repel Russian aggression and fully defend its independence and sovereignty."
Partner countries are also working to address additional ramifications caused by Russia, such as increasing food prices and a global food shortage, noting that Ukraine is a major supplier of the world's supply of wheat, corn and cooking-oil crops.
“Russia is blocking Ukraine’s ports; it’s destroying its farmland, warehouses, roads, equipment,” he said, according to the transcript. “That’s not only striking a major blow to Ukraine’s economy, but it’s also designed to inflict pain on the rest of the world to weaken support to the Ukrainian people.”
Blinken said the emergency meeting of the UNSC will focus on strategies to mitigate the food shortages caused by Russia's war.
He also used the briefing to promote "outstanding veteran diplomat" Bridget Brinks as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine; encourage Congress to pass a $40 billion supplemental funding bill to continue providing assistance to Ukraine; and to express U.S. support for both Sweden's and Finland's possible applications to join NATO.
