French President, Emmanuel Macron, has warned that the ongoing war in Ukraine will “deeply destabilise” food supplies in Europe and Africa as some of the world’s most fertile agricultural lands have been left uncultivated.
Macron said this to reporters on Friday after a European Union leaders’ meeting at Versailles Palace outside Paris.
“Europe and also Africa will be very deeply destabilised as regards food because of what can’t be planted right now in Ukraine,” Macron said.
“We will have to prepare for that and re-evaluate our production strategies to defend our food sovereignty, but also to be able to define a strategy concerning Africa,” he added.
Macron said that without strategies concerning Africa, several countries would be affected by famines within 12 to 18 months precisely because of the war.
The French leader added more economic punishment would be piled on Russia if it continues invasion of its neighbour.
“If things continue in a military way, we will take further sanctions, including massive sanctions,” he said, trailing a G7 statement on potential further measures “in a few hours”.
“All options are on the table,” he added after EU nations have held off in the first weeks of the conflict from cutting off crucial oil and gas imports from major supplier Russia.
AFP
