And in case no deal is reached, Ukraine’s agriculture minister said his country has alternative ways to transport grain if an agreement for the safe export of grain through Black Sea ports is not forthcoming. was not extended beyond May 18, and that Ukraine does not consider this a “terrible possibility”.
Moscow has threatened to pull out of the deal on May 18 unless it responds to a list of demands to remove obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertilizer.
“We do not see any horrible prospects for many reasons, Ukrainian farmers and traders have shown that they can do a lot, and many (export) routes can be opened,” said the Minister of Agriculture , quoting Minister Mykola Solsky.
The UN said on Monday that some 30 million metric tons of grain and food had been exported from Ukraine so far under the Black Sea deal, including nearly 600,000 metric tons of grain on WFP ships carrying out relief operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. and Yemen.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday denounced “unacceptable” and “cruel” European restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports, during a press conference in Kiev with the President of the European Commission.Ursula von der Leyen.
“All restrictions on our exports are now completely unacceptable,” Zelenskyy said, calling on Brussels to “reverse them” as soon as possible.
Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have unilaterally halted grain and other food imports from Ukraine to protect their farmers.
Ukrainian grain exports pass through the European Union on their way to other countries, after the closure of the traditional crossings on which Ukraine depends in the Black Sea.
However, due to logistical difficulties, the grain is piling up, leading to lower prices, leading to protests among farmers in these countries and the resignation of the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
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