Latest news with #GrainfromUkraine
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Ukraine turns to Africa in its struggle against Russia
FILE PHOTO: Bags of food aid are prepared for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Bags of food aid are prepared for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Viktor Bort, former Charge d'Affaires of the Ukrainian Embassy, and Patrick Teixeira, Deputy Country Director of WFP Mauritania, stand with Ukraine-donated supplies during a ceremony marking the arrival of Ukraine-donated supplies, as part of the EU and U.S. supported 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative, that will be distributed to refugees by the World Food Programme, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on August 29, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Workers prepare bags of food aid for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania, November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Workers prepare bags of food aid for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania, November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Ukraine turns to Africa in its struggle against Russia NOUAKCHOTT - On Africa's dry western tip, Mauritania has become an unlikely staging post for Ukraine's increasingly global struggle with its adversary Russia. Kyiv's new embassy in the country's capital Nouakchott - among eight it has opened in Africa since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine - has overseen food aid deliveries to refugees from neighbouring Mali, embassy and aid officials say. Kyiv is also offering to train Mauritanian soldiers, Ukraine's top envoy to Africa told Reuters, amid tension between Mauritania and Mali, where Moscow backs government forces against Tuareg rebels. Moscow's soldiers and mercenaries guard presidents in several West and Central African countries, while Russian mining companies are entrenched in the Sahel region that includes Mali. Russia's military presence in the Sahel "undermined stability", the envoy, Maksym Subkh said in an interview in Kyiv. "Ukraine is ready to continue training officers and representatives of the Mauritanian armed forces, to share the technologies and achievements that Ukraine has made" on the battlefield against Russia, Subkh said, adding that Ukraine had previously provided such training prior to Russia's invasion. The Mauritanian government did not respond to a request for comment about Ukraine's offer of more training. Russia's embassy in Mauritania did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier in June, the Kremlin said Russia would increase cooperation with African countries including in sensitive areas such as defence. Russia is the largest weapons supplier to Africa, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Reuters' interviews with four senior Ukrainian officials, two aid officials and Western diplomats and analysts for this story, along with access to new missions in Mauritania and Democratic Republic of Congo, reveal new details about Kyiv's Africa strategy including the deliveries of aid to Malian refugees, the proposal to train Mauritania's military, and the broader bid to counter Russia's much more entrenched presence. Early in the Ukraine war, many African countries declined to take Kyiv's side at the United Nations, even after Russia's bombing of Ukraine's ports drove up prices on the continent as exports of food and fertiliser were curtailed. Months later, Ukraine produced its first Africa strategy, a public document. The stated goals were to counter Russia's narrative and increase trade and investment on a continent that remembers Russian support in the Cold War and Moscow's stance against apartheid. Subkh was appointed to lead the effort, and Kyiv has since opened eight out of 10 new embassies announced in 2022, he said, bringing to 18 the number of missions Ukraine has in Africa. Host countries include Ivory Coast and Congo, which condemned Russia's invasion early on. Kyiv plans to open an embassy this year in Sudan, where Russia is accused by the U.S. of arming both sides in a brutal conflict. Russia denies a role there. However, Kyiv cannot match an opponent with deep commercial and security ties, including a long-standing presence of Moscow's intelligence agencies. In total, Russia has around 40 missions in Africa, and recently announced plans to open seven more. FIGHT FOR FREEDOM? Ukraine wants to persuade African nations that its fight against Russia, its Soviet-era master, has parallels with their own efforts to overcome the legacy of European colonialism, Subkh said. Despite the offer of military training, Ukraine's wartime effort to win African allies has largely focused on food. Kyiv says it has sent nearly 300,000 tonnes as aid, distributed through the World Food Programme (WFP) under an EU and U.S.-financed scheme called Grain from Ukraine that rivals a similar Russian food aid plan for Africa. The Ukrainian-branded aid has reached 8 million people in 12 countries, the European Policy Centre, a think-tank, said in April. Recipients have included Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya and Sudan. In Mauritania it has mostly been destined for Mbera, West Africa's largest refugee camp, housing soaring numbers of Malians fleeing the Russia-backed forces across the border. And after the reopening of Black Sea ports bombarded and blockaded by Russia in the first two years of war, Ukraine exported nearly 10 million tonnes of grain to Africa in 2024, almost double the previous year, agriculture ministry data shows. By showing it is a major alternative to Russian food supplies, Ukraine hopes African nations that have maintained neutrality over the war will begin to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. "Maintaining its role as one of the guarantors of the world's food security, Ukraine can prevent Russia from using food supplies as political leverage," Roman Sereda, Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Nouakchott, where Russia has had an embassy for six decades, said in an interview. Ukraine is gaining visibility. In April, Volodymyr Zelenskiy became the first Ukrainian president to visit South Africa, a close Russia ally. He called for recognition of Ukraine's struggle and playing up potential deals on energy, fertiliser production and security. South African foreign ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri said both Ukraine and Russia were allies. He said South Africa advocated for peace and was mediating on humanitarian issues such as the return of Ukrainian children Kyiv says were taken to Russia. However, South African analyst Tim Murithi said Ukraine's Africa strategy lacked coherence, pointing out that Kyiv had not nominated an ambassador in Ethiopia, a key posting that countries including Russia use to engage with the influential African Union, based in Addis Ababa. Ukraine's commercial exports are heavily tilted towards North Africa, with sub-Saharan nations including Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria buying a fraction of what they imported before the war, Ukrainian data shows. Mauritania itself bought far less food from Ukraine last year than in 2021. There have been setbacks in Ukraine's Africa drive, such as the downgrading of a planned October 2024 Ukraine-Africa summit to a video conference. Moscow hosted a well-attended Africa summit in 2023. "At the beginning, they wanted to have it physically in Kyiv," said Jean-Yves Ollivier, chairman of the Brazzaville Foundation, a conflict prevention organisation that Ukraine consulted on the summit. The downgrade has not previously been reported. Subkh did not respond to a request for comment about the event. MALI REFUGEES At times, Ukraine's higher profile has been controversial. Mali broke off relations with Kyiv over a Tuareg rebel attack in July that wiped out 47 Malian soldiers and 84 Russian fighters supporting the government, after a Ukrainian intelligence official appeared to suggest Ukrainian involvement. Ukraine has since strongly denied it was involved. Ukraine had no role in covert operations in the region, Subkh said. Now, a small quantity of Ukraine's aid has reached the Malian refugees fleeing the violence, WFP's spokesperson in Mauritania confirmed in response to questions for this story. The camp's population has almost tripled in two years to about 250,000 people. Three deliveries amounting to a total of about 1,400 tonnes had arrived in Mauritania by December, one of Ukraine's diplomats in Nouakchott, Viktor Bort, said. The split peas, vegetable oil and wheat were still being distributed to Mbera in May, the WFP spokesperson said. Bort, 29, who staffed the mission alone when it opened in May 2024, told Reuters his focus was to build relationships in the government and oversee the deliveries of aid to WFP for the Malian refugees, who he said were fleeing Russians. Kyiv's senior Africa envoy, Subkh, said aid distribution was decided by WFP. Ukraine's contributions were strictly humanitarian and the country opposed politicising aid, he said. Mauritania's communications ministry said the government had accepted Ukrainian food aid deliveries. It said it did not know that Ukrainian aid had reached the camp. THINLY STAFFED Ukraine's new missions are thinly staffed and it has sought support from volunteers and donors. Two diplomats from other countries said the embassy official in Mauritania, Bort, initially travelled without security, relying on friendly envoys from other countries for help, but quickly gained notice for his energy and networking. Sereda, the chargé d'affaires who joined Bort some months ago, said Ukraine's outreach and aid deliveries had improved Kyiv's reputation and Mauritanians' understanding of its position, with increased trade links hopefully to follow. The Mauritanian government declined to comment. Elsewhere, aid recipients have included war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ukraine's ambassador Vasyl Hamianin told Reuters the two countries were discussing long-term agriculture and food security agreements. "We accepted the Ukrainian embassy in a spirit of openness and cooperation. There is no need to link its presence to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," Congo's presidential office said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Africa on a shoestring: Ukraine seeks allies with aid and embassies
FILE PHOTO: Bags of food aid are prepared for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Bags of food aid are prepared for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Workers prepare bags of food aid for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania, November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Viktor Bort, former Charge d'Affaires of the Ukrainian Embassy, and Patrick Teixeira, Deputy Country Director of WFP Mauritania, stand with Ukraine-donated supplies during a ceremony marking the arrival of Ukraine-donated supplies, as part of the EU and U.S. supported 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative, that will be distributed to refugees by the World Food Programme, in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on August 29, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo FILE PHOTO: Workers prepare bags of food aid for distribution by the World Food Programme, part of the EU and U.S. backed 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania, November 19, 2024. WFP/ Nardjesse Rahmoune/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo NOUAKCHOTT - On Africa's dry western tip, Mauritania has become an unlikely staging post for Ukraine's increasingly global struggle with its adversary Russia. Kyiv's new embassy in the country's capital Nouakchott - among eight it has opened in Africa since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine - has overseen food aid deliveries to refugees from neighbouring Mali, embassy and aid officials say. Kyiv is also offering to train Mauritanian soldiers, Ukraine's top envoy to Africa told Reuters, amid tension between Mauritania and Mali, where Moscow backs government forces against Tuareg rebels. Moscow's soldiers and mercenaries guard presidents in several West and Central African countries, while Russian mining companies are entrenched in the Sahel region that includes Mali. Russia's military presence in the Sahel "undermined stability", the envoy, Maksym Subkh said in an interview in Kyiv. "Ukraine is ready to continue training officers and representatives of the Mauritanian armed forces, to share the technologies and achievements that Ukraine has made" on the battlefield against Russia, Subkh said, adding that Ukraine had previously provided such training prior to Russia's invasion. The Mauritanian government did not respond to a request for comment about Ukraine's offer of more training. Russia's embassy in Mauritania did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier in June, the Kremlin said Russia would increase cooperation with African countries including in sensitive areas such as defence. Russia is the largest weapons supplier to Africa, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Reuters' interviews with four senior Ukrainian officials, two aid officials and Western diplomats and analysts for this story, along with access to new missions in Mauritania and Democratic Republic of Congo, reveal new details about Kyiv's Africa strategy including the deliveries of aid to Malian refugees, the proposal to train Mauritania's military, and the broader bid to counter Russia's much more entrenched presence. Early in the Ukraine war, many African countries declined to take Kyiv's side at the United Nations, even after Russia's bombing of Ukraine's ports drove up prices on the continent as exports of food and fertiliser were curtailed. Months later, Ukraine produced its first Africa strategy, a public document. The stated goals were to counter Russia's narrative and increase trade and investment on a continent that remembers Russian support in the Cold War and Moscow's stance against apartheid. Subkh was appointed to lead the effort, and Kyiv has since opened eight out of 10 new embassies announced in 2022, he said, bringing to 18 the number of missions Ukraine has in Africa. Host countries include Ivory Coast and Congo, which condemned Russia's invasion early on. Kyiv plans to open an embassy this year in Sudan, where Russia is accused by the U.S. of arming both sides in a brutal conflict. Russia denies a role there. However, Kyiv cannot match an opponent with deep commercial and security ties, including a long-standing presence of Moscow's intelligence agencies. In total, Russia has around 40 missions in Africa, and recently announced plans to open seven more. FIGHT FOR FREEDOM? Ukraine wants to persuade African nations that its fight against Russia, its Soviet-era master, has parallels with their own efforts to overcome the legacy of European colonialism, Subkh said. Despite the offer of military training, Ukraine's wartime effort to win African allies has largely focused on food. Kyiv says it has sent nearly 300,000 tonnes as aid, distributed through the World Food Programme (WFP) under an EU and U.S.-financed scheme called Grain from Ukraine that rivals a similar Russian food aid plan for Africa. The Ukrainian-branded aid has reached 8 million people in 12 countries, the European Policy Centre, a think-tank, said in April. Recipients have included Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya and Sudan. In Mauritania it has mostly been destined for Mbera, West Africa's largest refugee camp, housing soaring numbers of Malians fleeing the Russia-backed forces across the border. And after the reopening of Black Sea ports bombarded and blockaded by Russia in the first two years of war, Ukraine exported nearly 10 million tonnes of grain to Africa in 2024, almost double the previous year, agriculture ministry data shows. By showing it is a major alternative to Russian food supplies, Ukraine hopes African nations that have maintained neutrality over the war will begin to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. "Maintaining its role as one of the guarantors of the world's food security, Ukraine can prevent Russia from using food supplies as political leverage," Roman Sereda, Ukraine's chargé d'affaires in Nouakchott, where Russia has had an embassy for six decades, said in an interview. Ukraine is gaining visibility. In April, Volodymyr Zelenskiy became the first Ukrainian president to visit South Africa, a close Russia ally. He called for recognition of Ukraine's struggle and playing up potential deals on energy, fertiliser production and security. South African foreign ministry spokesman Chrispin Phiri said both Ukraine and Russia were allies. He said South Africa advocated for peace and was mediating on humanitarian issues such as the return of Ukrainian children Kyiv says were taken to Russia. However, South African analyst Tim Murithi said Ukraine's Africa strategy lacked coherence, pointing out that Kyiv had not nominated an ambassador in Ethiopia, a key posting that countries including Russia use to engage with the influential African Union, based in Addis Ababa. Ukraine's commercial exports are heavily tilted towards North Africa, with sub-Saharan nations including Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria buying a fraction of what they imported before the war, Ukrainian data shows. Mauritania itself bought far less food from Ukraine last year than in 2021. There have been setbacks in Ukraine's Africa drive, such as the downgrading of a planned October 2024 Ukraine-Africa summit to a video conference. Moscow hosted a well-attended Africa summit in 2023. "At the beginning, they wanted to have it physically in Kyiv," said Jean-Yves Ollivier, chairman of the Brazzaville Foundation, a conflict prevention organisation that Ukraine consulted on the summit. The downgrade has not previously been reported. Subkh did not respond to a request for comment about the event. MALI REFUGEES At times, Ukraine's higher profile has been controversial. Mali broke off relations with Kyiv over a Tuareg rebel attack in July that wiped out 47 Malian soldiers and 84 Russian fighters supporting the government, after a Ukrainian intelligence official appeared to suggest Ukrainian involvement. Ukraine has since strongly denied it was involved. Ukraine had no role in covert operations in the region, Subkh said. Now, a small quantity of Ukraine's aid has reached the Malian refugees fleeing the violence, WFP's spokesperson in Mauritania confirmed in response to questions for this story. The camp's population has almost tripled in two years to about 250,000 people. Three deliveries amounting to a total of about 1,400 tonnes had arrived in Mauritania by December, one of Ukraine's diplomats in Nouakchott, Viktor Bort, said. The split peas, vegetable oil and wheat were still being distributed to Mbera in May, the WFP spokesperson said. Bort, 29, who staffed the mission alone when it opened in May 2024, told Reuters his focus was to build relationships in the government and oversee the deliveries of aid to WFP for the Malian refugees, who he said were fleeing Russians. Kyiv's senior Africa envoy, Subkh, said aid distribution was decided by WFP. Ukraine's contributions were strictly humanitarian and the country opposed politicising aid, he said. Mauritania's communications ministry said the government had accepted Ukrainian food aid deliveries. It said it did not know that Ukrainian aid had reached the camp. DIPLOMACY ON A SHOESTRING Ukraine's new missions are thinly staffed and it has sought support from volunteers and donors. Two diplomats from other countries said the embassy official in Mauritania, Bort, initially travelled without security, relying on friendly envoys from other countries for help, but quickly gained notice for his energy and networking. Sereda, the chargé d'affaires who joined Bort some months ago, said Ukraine's outreach and aid deliveries had improved Kyiv's reputation and Mauritanians' understanding of its position, with increased trade links hopefully to follow. The Mauritanian government declined to comment. Elsewhere, aid recipients have included war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo, where Ukraine's ambassador Vasyl Hamianin told Reuters the two countries were discussing long-term agriculture and food security agreements. "We accepted the Ukrainian embassy in a spirit of openness and cooperation. There is no need to link its presence to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," Congo's presidential office said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine must look beyond the EU for its agricultural future
The end of the European Union's tariff-free trade preferences for Ukrainian agricultural products is more than just a policy change, it's a wake-up call. For years, the EU has served as the largest and most reliable market for Ukraine's agricultural exports. But as Brussels rolls back preferential quotas, Ukraine must rapidly diversify and open up new non-EU markets to safeguard its economy and cement its role in global food security. Ukraine stands at a trading crossroads. It must now decide which path to go down as the European Union plans to apply much higher tariffs on agricultural and other exports as soon as next month. Ukraine has long been known as the breadbasket of Europe. Rich in black soil and abundant in agricultural know-how, the country is a global powerhouse in food production. Even under the shadow of war, after Russia's invasion, the sector remains a cornerstone of the national economy. Despite missile strikes, minefields, and logistical nightmares, Ukrainian farmers have kept working. Agricultural products account for 60% of all exports, bringing in an estimated $25 billion in earnings over the past year. The world depends on Ukrainian grain, oilseeds, and foodstuffs. Ukraine is the largest global exporter of sunflower oil, one of the biggest corn exporters, and a major supplier of wheat and barley. That strength must now be redirected toward a broader set of trading partners. Ukraine doesn't just offer grain, it offers food security. Relying too heavily on any one market, especially one where political and economic headwinds can shift quickly, is risky. The EU's new limits underscore the vulnerability of Ukraine's agri-export model. To stay competitive, Ukraine must engage more vigorously with other countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, many of which face mounting food insecurity and would benefit greatly from stable Ukrainian supply lines. Initiatives like the 'Grain from Ukraine' program, providing for some of the poorest countries in Africa, have already shown the strategic value of Ukrainian agriculture. Citizens in Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, and many other countries have benefited. But these efforts must now expand from humanitarian aid to long-term commercial partnerships. Ukraine doesn't just offer grain, it offers food security. As climate change and conflict disrupt food systems across the globe, Ukraine's agricultural output can serve as a stabilizing force. The country's ability to deliver large volumes of high-quality produce, often at competitive prices, makes it a natural partner for countries with growing populations and food import needs. In addition to bulk commodities, Ukraine is increasingly competitive in higher-value products. The country exports hundreds of millions of dollars of organic goods to dozens of countries, despite the war. With growing global demand for sustainable, ethically produced food, Ukrainian agribusinesses are well-positioned to enter niche and premium markets if they get the right support. Here's the catch: Seizing these opportunities requires capital. Much of Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, storage facilities, railways, and processing plants need investment. Some have been damaged, degraded, or underdeveloped for decades. Logistics routes remain vulnerable. Certification standards and packaging often need to be upgraded to meet the demands of new markets. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is critical to bridging this gap. Investors in agribusiness, logistics, technology, and processing can find long-term value in Ukraine's vast agricultural potential. In return, their capital and expertise can help modernize the sector, unlock exports, and create jobs across the country. Venture capital in agri-tech and climate-resilient farming, for instance, could help Ukrainian producers boost yields and diversify crops. Partnerships with multinational food companies could pave the way for Ukraine to move up the value chain — producing not just raw grain but ready-to-eat foodstuffs, sauces, baby food, and premium packaged goods. This isn't just about economics. It's a matter of national security and global stability. A thriving agricultural sector boosts Ukraine's GDP, stabilizes rural communities, and reduces dependence on international aid. It also enhances Ukraine's geopolitical relevance by helping feed an increasingly hungry world. Ukraine's farmers have proven their grit. Now they need new markets and the investment to reach them. From North Africa to Southeast Asia, the demand is there. The quality is in Ukraine. What's needed is the bridge, built through trade policy, diplomacy, and serious foreign investment. Ukraine must sow the seeds now for a diversified, resilient, and prosperous agricultural future. And the world should be eager to help it grow. Read also: Backroom diplomacy and battlefield reality: Ukraine at the IMF Spring Meetings We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine sends batch of flour to Syria under Grain from Ukraine programme
Ukraine has shipped another batch of humanitarian aid comprising 3,850 tonnes of flour as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Grain from Ukraine programme. Source: Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Quote from Vitalii Koval: "Another batch of humanitarian aid has arrived in Syria. Together with the UN World Food Programme, the flour will be distributed to local bakeries. In total, the Ukrainian flour will be enough to feed almost 60,000 people for six months." Details: The minister recalled that Ukraine has previously delivered 500 tonnes of wheat flour to 33,250 families in Syria. Background: In January, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval agreed to coordinate efforts to scale up the Grain from Ukraine programme and transform it into Food from Ukraine. Austria contributed €2 million to the Grain from Ukraine food programme. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Austria supports Grain from Ukraine programme
Austria has backed the Grain from Ukraine food programme, contributing €2 million. Source: press service for Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food Details: Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval discussed cooperation in the agricultural sector and trade relations with Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Arad Benkö. Koval also expressed gratitude to Austria for its contribution to Ukraine's Grain from Ukraine programme. Quote from Koval: "This is an additional €2 million for food security, which is an important step in supporting countries suffering from hunger." Details: Koval emphasised that European integration is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food and outlined the steps already taken toward EU accession. The parties also discussed the need for joint efforts at European Commission level to ensure the smooth export of Ukrainian agricultural products. Quote from Koval: "Austria remains an important trade partner of Ukraine: in 2024, bilateral trade in food and agricultural products amounted to US$210 million. Ukraine mainly exported maize, fruit and vegetable juices, soya beans, sunflower oil, frozen fruits and nuts. In return, Austria supplied Ukraine with chocolate and cocoa-based products, ready-made sauces, animal feed, maize, and still and carbonated mineral water." Details: The minister also proposed exploring a mechanism to insure agricultural trade transactions between Ukraine and Austria against war-related risks. Background: Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval agreed to coordinate efforts to scale up the Grain from Ukraine programme, transforming it into Food from Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
