U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was working with European allies on a plan to lift 20 million tonnes of grain blocked in Ukraine over the war with Russia by rail, and thus contain the global rise in food prices.
“I have a plan to lower gas and food prices,” Biden said during a speech at the quadrennial convention of the AFL-CIO, the largest US trade union association, in Philadelphia.
The American president stated that the plan is to transport thousands of tons of grain destined for export and that cannot be shipped across the Black Sea because of the Russian invasion.
As Ukraine has a different rail gauge than European countries, Biden revealed that “temporary silos” will be built on the Polish border to store grain for export to the rest of Europe and the world.
“I am working closely with our European partners to bring 20 million tonnes of grain blocked in Ukraine to market and help bring down food prices,” he summarized.
Ukraine is one of the world’s top five grain exporters and, under normal circumstances, exports 75% of its production. The lockdown poses a risk to global food security, particularly in parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Biden also blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for high gasoline prices, which in the United States reached a record $5 a gallon. He claimed to have released the largest volume of oil reserves in history and, while admitting that “it will take time”, he promised that fuel prices will fall.
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