[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 86 (Thursday, May 19, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H5178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             UKRAINE IS KNOWN AS THE BREADBASKET OF EUROPE

  (Mr. QUIGLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of 
Europe. It plays a vital role in the food supply as the seventh largest 
producer of wheat and fifth largest producer of corn in the world.
  Russia has mined Ukraine's Black Sea ports, making it virtually 
impossible to export grain, corn, and other food. Approximately 30 
million tons of grain are stuck in Ukrainian ports as a result of the 
Russian blockade--nearly $15 billion of grain.
  As a result, food prices have soared, and the world is on the brink 
of a food crisis that could lead to mass unrest and instability across 
the globe. The United Nations World Food Program has warned that 400 
million people may be at risk of starvation. Russia has used hunger as 
a weapon of war before.
  In the 1930s, Stalin intentionally caused a famine in Ukraine, 
eventually killing 3.9 million Ukrainians in what is now known has the 
Holodomor.
  We must take steps to end the blockade and mitigate these food 
shortages if we want to prevent a massive crisis. NATO must commit to 
reopening the Black Sea so Ukraine can fill its vital role as the 
breadbasket of Europe.

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