Ukrainian grain is the focus of talks between the UN and the EU

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Thursday that the agreement regarding Ukrainian grain exports, which expires on July 17th, is the focal point of a meeting between the United Nations and the European Union taking place in southern Brussels.

The meeting, which started on Thursday and concludes on Friday in La Hulpe, comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that none of Moscow's requests were taken into account during the negotiations to extend the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports.

Von der Leyen, accompanied by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stated that "the ball is in President Putin's court," emphasizing that "Russia bears the responsibility for extending the agreement, and otherwise it would lead to global food insecurity."

Meanwhile, Guterres stated that the partnership between the United Nations and the European Union is essential "to rebuild a relationship of trust with the developing world."

He added, "Multilateralism is more important today than ever: for peace, protecting the planet, and eliminating hunger." He emphasized that "we don't have a minute to waste."

Last week, Russia announced that it sees "no reason" to extend the agreement and complained about obstacles to the delivery of agricultural products.

A series of Russian attacks targeted a grain station in the Odessa region in southern Ukraine, which houses three major grain export ports, on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

The "Grain Initiative in the Black Sea" was signed in July 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey, with the participation of Russia and Ukraine, under the auspices of the United Nations. It allowed for the export of approximately 33 million tons of grain from Ukraine despite the ongoing war.




AFP