Thursday 23 June 2022 10:14 AM Liz Truss accuses Putin of 'weaponising hunger' as food prices soar trends now

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Liz Truss accused Russia of 'weaponising hunger' today as she vowed to work with Turkey to find ways around the Ukraine grain blockade.

Speaking at a press conference alongside counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Ms Truss warned the crisis is 'urgent' and must be solved in the next month to avoid 'devastating consequences'.

Ukraine is known as the 'bread basket of Europe' and was one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil.

But Vladimir Putin's invasion and restriction of access to Black Sea ports, including Odesa, has halted much of that flow.

The impact has already been seen in soaring prices, with food the biggest factor alongside energy in the latest eye-watering UK inflation figures yesterday. 

Meanwhile, there is mounting alarm that Putin will turn the screw by stopping gas supplies to Europe in the winter.