Tags: ukraine | zelenskyy | grain | belarus | russia war | world food supply | bread basket

Ukraine Not Ready to Export Grain via Belarus: Zelenskyy

Ukraine Not Ready to Export Grain via Belarus: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers media questions during a press conference in a city subway under a central square in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 23, 2022. (AP)

Monday, 06 June 2022 12:55 PM EDT

Ukraine is not ready to agree to a plan to export its grain by rail across Belarus for shipment via the Baltic Sea to bypass Russia's blockade of its Black Sea ports, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.

Zelenskyy told a news conference in the capital Kyiv that there could be as much as 75 million tonnes of grain stuck in Ukraine this autumn.

Belarus, used by its ally Russia as a staging ground for Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion, has said it is ready to let Ukrainian grain go via the country to Baltic Sea ports, if Belarus is allowed to ship its goods from the ports as well.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who says Moscow is carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine, has also touted the idea as a solution.

"We are not yet ready to follow this format and help our 'friendly' neighbors," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by Interfax Ukraine.

Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine had discussed with Britain and Turkey the idea of a navy from a third country guaranteeing safe passage of Ukraine's grain exports through the Black Sea.

However, he said the strongest guarantee of their safe passage would be with Ukrainian weaponry.

"Our strongest guarantee of unblocking this or that corridor from ports for the export of grain is to respond with weapons that will be located in the region," he told reporters.

"We are working on this with specific states, with specific anti-ship systems, we are working and are gradually receiving them," he said.

© 2024 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.


StreetTalk
Ukraine is not ready to agree to a plan to export its grain by rail across Belarus for shipment via the Baltic Sea to bypass Russia's blockade of its Black Sea ports, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.
ukraine, zelenskyy, grain, belarus, russia war, world food supply, bread basket
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2022-55-06
Monday, 06 June 2022 12:55 PM
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