Kuleba urges EU to urgently expand all available routes for Ukrainian grain exports

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on EU countries and EU institutions to urgently expand all available routes for Ukrainian grain exports.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Russia has destroyed the 'grain initiative', strikes at Ukrainian ports and infrastructure involved in maritime exports, and at the same time increases its own supply of grain on world markets. They are trying to eliminate Ukraine from the market as a competitor, make end customers, bread consumers in Asia and Africa, pay for their withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and finance the Russian war machine," he said at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Kuleba stressed that all alternative ways of exporting Ukrainian grain should now work at full capacity and expand, while statements about any restrictions are unacceptable.

The minister also called on EU member states to "actively work together" to deprive Russia of leverage over Ukrainian maritime exports.

According to him, the ideal scenario would be a complete end to the Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian ports. This will be possible when Ukraine receives its first F-16 squadron, which will be able to patrol the skies and sea lanes.

In addition, Kuleba outlined Ukraine's clear proposals for increasing the capacity of transport corridors, including the joint development of the Danube cluster, as well as the Adriatic and Baltic transport corridors.