Natalia Zinets and Ümit Bektaş
Kyiv/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy downplayed the importance of his country’s first grain export shipment since Russia’s invasion, saying the country was carrying some of the crop Kiev had to sell to help. torn economy.
The pessimistic comments made via video to students in Australia on Wednesday came after the ship was inspected in Turkey before continuing to its final destination in Lebanon as part of a deal aimed at easing a global food crisis.
The Razoni ship departed for Tripoli, Lebanon, carrying 26,527 tons of corn from the Ukrainian port of Odessa in the Black Sea on Monday, following the United Nations’ (UN) grain and fertilizer export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. last month – a rare diplomatic advance in a protracted war.
But speaking through a translator, Zelenskiy said more time is needed to see if further grain shipments can be made.
He told the students, “We recently had a first ship with grain delivery thanks to the partnership between Turkey and the UN, but it’s still nothing. But we hope it will be a continuing trend.”
According to him, Ukraine had to export at least 10 million tons of grain in order to urgently reduce the budget deficit of 5 billion dollars a month.
A senior Turkish official said three ships were allowed to leave Ukrainian ports every day after Razoni’s departure, while Ukraine’s infrastructure minister said 17 more ships were loaded with agricultural products and awaited departure.
Known as Europe’s breadbasket, Ukraine expects to export 20 million tons of grain held in silos and an ongoing harvest of 40 million tons, mainly from Odessa and nearby Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk.
“War … almost killing the economy. In a coma,” Zelenskiy added. “Russia’s port blockade is a huge loss for the economy.”
Zelenskiy has repeatedly warned that Moscow could try to block exports, despite signing the deal last month.
Russia, which blocked Ukrainian ports by launching a “special military operation” on February 24, said it would like to see more action to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports. However, he welcomed the departure of Ukraine’s first grain ship.
Russia denies responsibility for the food crisis, saying that Western sanctions, which see the war as an unprovoked, imperialist-style acquisition of Ukrainian territory by Moscow, have slowed its exports.
source: Noticias
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