Russia's 108-day-old invasion of Ukraine is set to cause "an unprecedented food catastrophe" in the world, Italy has warned, calling for an end to the looming "grain war".
"We cannot allow a conflict that is causing the deaths of hundreds of innocent children - almost 300 already - in Ukraine to add other child deaths from hunger to the toll," said Italy's foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
"A grain war will cause an unprecedented food catastrophe," Di Maio continued in remarks during a visit to Ethiopia on Monday.
Di Maio was referring to Russia's naval blockade of Ukraine's ports, which has prevented some 20 million tonnes of grain from being exported since the conflict began, raising fears of destabilising famines, especially in Africa.
"Italy is at the forefront of the fight to against a grain war and is committed to stopping this," Di Maio underlined.
Russia and Ukraine account for more than a quarter of the world's wheat exports and the war continues to drive up prices which were rising even before the invasion.
