By blocking Ukrainian ports, Russia is "deliberately using starvation as a weapon," German Agricultural Minister Cem Özdemir said on Friday, APA reports citing CNN.
It is "a particularly disgusting kind of warfare that Russia is engaged in,“ Özdemir told N-TV during a visit to Kyiv on Friday. "Alternative routes cost an insane amount of money," he added.
Özdemir discussed alternative ways to export grain from Ukraine with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi.
"It would be kamikaze for Ukraine to rely on Putin's word without credible, effective military guarantees that the security of Ukrainian ports and ships is assured," Özdemir said.
"I would not trust Putin's word in any way; he has proven to be a notorious liar," Özdemir told N-TV.