Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi discussed ways to help ease the international food crisis, with the Kremlin saying this could be done only if the West lifts sanctions, writes Reuters.

“Vladimir Putin emphasized that the Russian Federation is ready to make a significant contribution to overcoming the food crisis through the export of grain and fertilizers, provided that politically motivated restrictions from the West are lifted”, - Moscow said in a statement.

It added that Putin also spoke about the “steps taken to ensure the safety of navigation, including the daily opening of humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilian ships from the ports of the Azov and the Black Sea, which is impeded by the Ukrainian side”.