China News Agency, Beijing, April 8th. Comprehensive news: According to TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said on the 7th that if the West does not make progress in eliminating obstacles to Russia’s fertilizer and grain exports, Russia will reconsider the necessity of the Black Sea Grain Initiative . According to the “New York Times” report, a confidential document related to the U.S. aid program to Ukraine was suspected to be leaked this week, and the Pentagon is investigating it.
Russia asks West to remove barriers to Russian fertilizer and grain exports
According to TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on the 7th that if the West makes no progress in eliminating obstacles to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, Russia will reconsider the necessity of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Lavrov said that after extending the agreement for 120 days, the Russian side found no sign that anyone could actually solve these problems. If Western countries do not show a constructive attitude, Russia will work outside the framework of the food initiative.
U.S. aid plan to Ukraine leaked on social media
The Pentagon is investigating a classified U.S. military document that appears to have leaked on social media this week detailing U.S. and NATO plans to bolster Ukrainian forces ahead of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, The New York Times reported.
Reuters reported on the 7th that Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s office, said that these documents contained “a large amount of fictitious information” and looked like a disinformation operation by Russia to make people suspicious of the counteroffensive.
Ukraine rejects Brazilian president’s peace proposal
According to the “Kiev Post” report, the Ukrainian side rejected Brazilian President Lula’s proposal on the 7th to “abandon Crimea to end the conflict”.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko stated on social media that any mediation to restore peace in Ukraine should be based on respect for Ukrainian sovereignty and the restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity.
Farmers in some EU countries protest Ukrainian agricultural products disrupting local markets
According to the Associated Press, farmers in Romania and Bulgaria held protests on the 7th to protest the EU’s preferential treatment policy for Ukrainian agricultural products, saying that a large number of cheap Ukrainian agricultural products are pouring into the local market and driving down prices.
The report pointed out that Ukraine is one of the world‘s largest producers of grains and sunflower oil, but the crisis in Ukraine has restricted the country’s agricultural exports and threatened global food security. To this end, the EU has canceled tariffs and quotas on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. Farmers in Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and other EU countries have been hit by an influx of cheap Ukrainian produce, making it difficult to sell local produce at prices above production costs.
Liliana Piron, executive director of the Federation of Romanian Agricultural Producers Associations, said at the protest that the country’s farmers could no longer afford unfair competition from Ukraine or risk bankruptcy.
The farmers who held the protest called on the EU to take responsibility and take action, the report said. (over)Return to Sohu to see more
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