Ukraine is interested in resuming the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, from which the Russian Federation withdrew on July 17, but intends to strengthen and develop an alternative sea route for grain exports, along which two ships have already left Ukrainian ports, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

“Of course, after Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Ukrainian farmers and consumers or buyers of bread in Africa, in Asia, that is, in the countries where they need it most, suffered the most. These are the biggest, one might say, victims of Russian grain blackmail and the Russian Hunger Games,” Kuleba said at a joint briefing with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Paris.

The Minister stressed that Ukraine is interested in resuming the functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

“But we also, as Ukraine, as a state, have demonstrated that there is an alternative to agreements with the Russian Federation. There is a safe sea route, along which two ships have already left Ukrainian ports, and this route will not be a ‘hostage’ of Russian blackmail. It can be developed, strengthened. And we, in particular, talked about how this route can be further developed,” Kuleba said.

As reported, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine will visit the Czech Republic, the French Republic and the Kingdom of Spain this week. On August 29-30, in Paris, Kuleba will hold talks with the leadership of France and leading companies of the French military-industrial complex. At the invitation of his French colleague Catherine Colonna, he will also be an honorary guest of the conference of French ambassadors.