The European Union is ready to export almost all Ukrainian agricultural products through “solidarity corridors”Agriculture Commissioner Janus Wojciechowski said today, after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain in mid-month.

“Solidarity corridors” are road and rail links with EU member states bordering Ukraine.

“This is not the first time that Russia has used food as a weapon. The situation is similar to that at the beginning of the war. We are ready to export almost anything. This is about four million tons of olive seeds and grains per month and we achieved this goal last November,” he said, speaking to reporters in Brussels.

The Commissioner explained that 60% of Ukrainian exports were promoted through these solidarity corridors and only 40% through the Black Sea, at the time the agreement was in force. The collapse of the deal is expected to deal a heavy blow especially to African countries that depend on sea deliveries.

Wojciechovsky also said that the EU is considering various initiatives of member countries to come up with a joint action plan to cover the additional costs of transporting Ukrainian agricultural products. There is currently no estimate of that cost, he added.