The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her Lithuanian counterpart have discussed sending the Royal Navy to break the Russian blockade by allowing a “protective corridor” to get essential wheat and grain out of the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Allies of the Ukraine are set to form a “coalition of the willing” and Egypt who have been hit hard by wheat shortages could also join in the coalition.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has suggested that a coalition involving NATO countries who are dependent on grain could take part in the Black Sea.

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Vladimir Putin’s navy have blockaded the port of Odesa preventing huge cargo ships who are laden with grain from leaving and the Ukraine have also planted sea mines in the area.

Russia has been accused of “holding hostage the vulnerable countries of the world” by stopping Ukraine supplying the globe with food.

Putin is also deliberately targeting and destroying food stocks and storage locations” in Ukraine which could affect around 18m people.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister said that NATO countries “could provide ships or planes that would be stationed in the Black Sea and provide maritime passage for the grain ships to leave Odesa’s port and reach the Bosphorus in Turkey.”

He added that sending the warships to the Black Sea will not “signify an escalation because it is not taking part in the war.”

The British Foreign Secretary has insisted that the UK are seriously working on an “urgent solution” to the global food crisis which has been ordered by Putin.

Truss said, “What we need to do is deal with this global food security issue and the UK is working on an urgent solution to get the grain out of Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “We need to agree on a safe corridor.

“Russia will not be able to stand against the leading countries of the world.

“We are talking to the Baltics about using their seaports.”

But a Western official warned The Times this would be very risky to do without Russian permission.

The official warned, “To try and do it without Russia’s consent would raise the risk there could be an incident.”

A Commission paper on global food security for EU agriculture ministers who are in Brussels have warned, “Food security in warn-torn Ukraine is of great concern, particularly as Russia seems to be deliberately targeting and destroying food stocks and storage locations.

“The UN Appeal estimates that up to 18m people will be affected in Ukraine, including up to 6.7m who will be newly internally displaced.

“Food shortages in cities and millions of refugees and displaced persons call for urgent food aid to Ukraine.

“Humanitarian actors, such as the World Food Programme, are providing food assistance and scaling-up operations.

“The EU is mobilising aid through both its civil protection and humanitarian mechanisms.

“EU humanitarian aid, already operational, amounts to €93million for Ukraine and Moldova including food assistance and support for basic needs.”