The Group of Leading Democratic Industrialized Nations (G7) is considering alternatives to shipping grain from Ukraine to break the Russian blockade in the area.
After there were problems with rail transport via Romania due to the different track widths of the railways, exports via the Baltic ports were being examined, said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Saturday at the end of a G7 meeting near Weißenhäuser Strand on the Baltic Sea.
But even on the route via the Baltic States, the prerequisites would first have to be clarified as to how the ports there could be reached.
Normally, five to six million tons of grain per month could be shipped from Ukraine, Baerbock said.
However, this can only be achieved by sea.
In the case of a delivery by rail, it is clear that you get significantly less grain.
But the following applies: "Every ton that is delivered can help a little to get this hunger crisis under control."
"Grain that the world needs so badly"
So far, a fraction has been exported by rail, mainly via Romania.
The "bottleneck" is that the Ukraine and Romania have different track widths on the railways.
This will waste a lot of time.
There will be no perfect solution as long as Russia's bombing of Ukraine continues, Baerbock said.
25 million tons of grain were stored in the Ukrainian ports.
"This is the grain the world so desperately needs."
It is also important to export this, because otherwise the next harvest will also expire.
The G7 examined the alternatives together with Ukraine, the United Nations and the European Commission.
Baerbock emphasized that it is not just about preventing a famine in a few months.
The effects of the blockade are already being felt today, because even without the war in Ukraine there are incredible problems in providing for everyone and people are already starving to death.
"That's why it's so important that we act together."