Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this at a joint press conference with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze in Kyiv on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
Sybiha recalled that in 2022, Russia's blockade of Black Sea shipping routes caused the global food price index to surge by 25%. He said this posed a serious threat to global food security, particularly in African and Asian countries.
"Today we are facing a risk of the same magnitude. Through its terror, Russia has effectively blocked the 'grain corridor' or the maritime route used to transport Ukrainian products abroad. We have already appealed to our allies and partners to help unblock our maritime exports by stepping up pressure on Moscow. By attacking civilian vessels, Russia is also killing crew members, who are mostly foreign nationals," he said.
Read also: Ukraine could lose up to $3B in agricultural sector due to Russian attacks on ports – VysotskyiHe added that Ukraine has also activated the EU's Solidarity Lanes initiative.
"We are currently holding active consultations with all our neighbors – Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland – on how to expand infrastructure and create the necessary conditions to help Ukraine transport grain to third-country markets. It is important to clarify that this concerns transit through these countries, as was the case in 2022," Sybiha said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia has intensified its attacks on civilian vessels and Ukrainian ports, with 134 attacks recorded since the beginning of July.