Russia-Ukraine might have spurred Lankan turmoil: US
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Bangkok: The Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent restrictions the former imposed on the latter's grain exports might have contributed to Sri Lanka's conflict, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken opined on Sunday. He also expressed his concern that the export lock could incite more crises, Agence France-Presse reported.
He told the media in Bangkok that the impact of Russian aggression is witnessed everywhere. The world is seeing global food insecurity exacerbated by the Russian aggression into its neighbour.
He requested Russia to let Ukraine ship an estimated 20 million tonnes of grain, repeating his earlier demand.
He further said that in Thailand, fertilizer prices have gone sky high due to the Russian blockade. Thailand is a vibrant farming country, and in the absence of fertilizers, next year's yields will slump, and prices will go up.
Severe conflict in Sri Lanka was triggered by acute food and fuel shortage. Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa offered to step down from office after protesters broke into his official residence on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Moscow informed that it would allow Ukrainininan shipments to leave home if Kyiv's military demined its ports. However, Kyiv has rejected the condition, fearing for the safety of its Black Sea coast.