Russia's war in Ukraine is starving the world

Ian Explains: Russia's War in Ukraine is Starving the World | GZERO World

Ukraine is an agricultural powerhouse. But so is Russia. Between the two they account for almost a third of the world's wheat exports.

The Russian invasion has disrupted planting and harvesting in Ukraine. Sanctions against Moscow, for their part, have restricted shipping — further limiting food supplies.

Who's most at risk? Countries in the Middle East and North Africa that depend on these grain imports, like Egypt.

All this comes as the world was already experiencing record-high food prices due to COVID-related supply chain problems and climate change.

The UN estimates that the disruption to food systems causes by the war will make up to 47 million people go hungry.

Watch the GZERO World episode: A perfect storm of food insecurity: a problem for all of us

More from GZERO Media

Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, reacts to the exit polls of the second round of the presidential election, in Warsaw, Poland, June 1, 2025.
REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Just when you thought the far right was in retreat in Eastern Europe, following recent losses in Romania and Albania, it came roaring back in Poland.

South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung of the Democratic Party speaks at a campaign rally in Seoul on May 29, 2025.
Kyodo via Reuters Connect

South Koreans head to the polls this Tuesday, June 3, to elect a new president. They’ll face a choice between two candidates with sharply contrasting visions for the country’s future — and its foreign policy.

The world has its first (North) American pope. Now what? On a new GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Jesuit priest and bestselling author Father James Martin to talk about the historic ascendancy of Pope Leo XIV and what his papacy means for the Catholic Church, American politics, and a world in search of moral clarity.