Federal Minister of Agriculture Özdemir calls for alternative routes for grain exports from Ukraine. Kyiv has sharply criticized Moscow for indirect threats to use nuclear weapons. The developments in the live blog.
5:16 a.m
Özdemir: Need more export routes for grain
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir emphasized the need to develop alternative transport routes for grain from Ukraine. “It’s about permanent alternatives, not temporary ones,” said the Green politician of the “Rheinische Post”. “I want to persuade the EU Commission to push for the expansion of alternative export routes.” Ukraine should no longer be dependent on Russia on this issue.
In view of the resumption of grain exports as a result of the agreement between wartime opponents Ukraine and Russia mediated by Turkey and the United Nations, Özdemir warned against overconfidence. “Every transport ship that safely leaves Ukrainian ports is a ray of hope – for Ukraine and for the starving people of this world,” he said. “Despite all hope, however, one must remember that ultimately one is relying on the word of the aggressor Putin – and what Putin’s word is worth is something we are painfully experiencing right now.”
5:04 a.m
Ukraine accuses Russia of “nuclear terrorism”.
Kyiv has sharply criticized Moscow for indirect threats to use nuclear weapons in the course of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. “The world is witnessing how nuclear terrorism, sponsored by a nuclear-armed state, is becoming a reality,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said at the start of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York, according to the speech.
Robust collective action is needed to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. No-fly zones would have to be set up over Ukrainian nuclear power plants. The aggressor Russia should not get away with invading Ukraine just because it has nuclear weapons.
4:23 a.m
Selenskyj sees the first grain carrier as a positive signal
After the resumption of grain exports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj was cautiously optimistic that he would be able to solve the global supply crisis and boost his own economy. “The port has started to work and this is a positive signal that there is a chance to stop the development of the food crisis in the world,” Zelenskyy said in his daily video message. According to him, 16 more ships are waiting in Ukrainian ports to be cleared for export.
Zelenskyj made it clear that the implementation of the grain agreement is also of enormous importance for Ukraine. It’s not just about billions in foreign exchange earnings. “About half a million Ukrainians are involved in growing export agricultural products, and if we add related industries, that’s an additional million jobs,” he said.
At the same time, Selenskyj warned against premature hopes. Russia will not simply stop sabotaging Ukrainian exports. Much depends on whether the United Nations and Turkey succeed in implementing the agreement.
In addition, the Ukrainian President once again addressed the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and criticized the West in this context. Ultimately, his weak reaction meant that “Russian aggression was able to grow to this extent,” Zelensky said.