NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that he intends to raise the issue of how the Russia-Ukraine war will impact the region at the 33rd Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
This comes as fighting continues in Ukraine and world leaders contend with the possibility of a third World War.
Global tensions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict have deepened, with a potential nuclear threat now looming.
Yesterday, Davis said: “As a periphery and any other business, I intend to raise it to see how it impacts the Caribbean — and, in particular, The Bahamas — and how we can put up the fences to avoid the escalating costs and inflation to the products that our people will be impacted by.
“We are already hearing about the rising gas prices and the consequential effects of that, like high electricity.
“We have to sit down and see how best we deal with these issues.”
The Russian military invaded Ukraine last week Thursday, launching a wide-ranging attack on the country, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling and forcing civilians to flee for safety.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees, and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would “lead to consequences you have never seen in history”.
The Bahamian government immediately condemned the invasion as “wrong” and “unlawful”, adding that it should end and be reversed.
The government has also joined its CARICOM partners in support of the position of the secretary-general of the United Nations, who has called on Russia to stop its troops and “give peace a chance”.
Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations Patricia Scotland, QC, has also condemned the actions of Russia, stating that the body stands firmly against acts of aggression and calling for a peaceful resolution.
We are already hearing about the rising gas prices and the consequential effects of that, like high electricity.
– Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis
On Sunday, Putin issued a directive to increase the readiness of the country’s nuclear weapons, putting Russian nuclear forces on high alert.
Putin cited the financial sanctions now being placed on the country by the world and “aggressive statements” by NATO as the cause for the dramatic escalation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to meet with Russian officials at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border, though some officials do not expect the talks will be fruitful.
The conflict between the two countries has led to rising energy costs, with global oil prices skyrocketing past $100 per barrel for the first time since 2014, and has also sent stock markets around the world tumbling.
Russia and Ukraine are also major producers of grains and various other commodities, whose prices have also soared.
Economists and financial specialists have already warned that Bahamian consumers will have to “make adjustments” to handle increased inflation, particularly on oil and energy prices.
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