For the first time since February, a ship carrying corn left the port of Odessa, in southern Ukraine. This was made possible by the efforts of Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations to prevent global famine.
As of August 2, 17 ships were loaded with Ukrainian grain in the seaports of Odessa and Tchornomorsk. Ten of them are already awaiting departure.
Ukraine is now fully prepared to resume the process and remains committed to continuing to be the guarantor of global food security.
Considering Russia’s previous attacks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing an excellent job in protecting our coast, our ports and the adjacent Ukrainian maritime territories.
Without exception, Ukraine has fully fulfilled its obligations, and we now expect the same from Russia.
At the moment, about 20 million tons of grain from previous crops are in stock for export by Ukraine. They are at stake in Russia’s global “hunger game”, which uses the international threat of growing hunger as a lever to push self-interest and advance its neocolonial foreign policy agenda.
We believe it is unacceptable to hold hostages entire nations in need of external food supplies, especially by the permanent member of the UN Security Council. Therefore, we call on the international community to engage and prevent any violation or provocation by Russia.
Last time, it took less than 24 hours for the Russian Federation to launch a missile attack on the port of Odessa to undermine the agreements and break the promises made to the UN and Turkey in the document signed in Istanbul.
For its part, Ukraine has always been and is committed to continuing to be one of the leading and 100% reliable suppliers of food to the world. According to USDA data based on 2021/2022 crop results, Ukraine accounts for more than 10% of all world wheat exports, 14% of all corn, 17% of all barley and 47% of all the sunflower oil.
Before the war, Ukraine exported 5 million to 6 million tons of agricultural products monthly; 90% of this volume was exported from the seaports of the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov. Shipments have been suspended because of Russia’s maritime blockade with its fleet and mines, ongoing missile attacks and threats of landings.
Because of the war, the occupation of part of our territories and bombing, Ukrainian forecasts for agricultural exports in 2022 will be much more modest compared to the previous year. Still, up to 70 million tonnes are expected to be harvested in the coming months. We urgently need to make room for them in our silos so that we can contribute even more to alleviating the global food crisis.
The resumption of grain exports from Ukraine is necessary to ensure global economic stability, overcome sharp price increases and mitigate the effect of the food crisis on the most vulnerable people, first and foremost in Africa and Asia.
The entire world breathed a sigh of relief when the grain carrier Razoni, loaded with corn, departed the Ukrainian port of Odessa, arrived at the entrance to the Black Sea from the Bosphorus Strait and docked at the specified destination on August 2.
After the inspection, the ship should deliver a load of 26 thousand tons of corn to the port of Tripoli, in Lebanon. Today, millions of people around the world have watched this ship progress. This is our contribution to global food security, which we make despite Russian aggression. Allies help Ukraine fight the enemy; Ukraine helps the world fight hunger.
In turn, Russia’s agricultural products and exports are unaffected by EU and US sanctions. EU member states grant access to ports to Russian ships. There is no EU entry ban for Russian road hauliers when importing or transporting agricultural products, including fertilizers and wheat. The US also carefully avoided harming Russia’s agricultural trade with sanctions imposed for invading Ukraine.
Thus, there is no impediment for Russia to contribute its share of the international agricultural market and no good reason to demand the lifting of sanctions for the benefit of global food security.
