WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top U.S. diplomat for Near Eastern affairs on Thursday said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss Israel’s role as mediator between Russia and Ukraine during his visit over the weekend.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert, speaking to reporters, warned that Russia’s conflict in Ukraine will only continue to increase the price of basic staples in the Middle East and North Africa region as wheat prices rise.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis)
