Zelensky and Macron seek more security for Ukrainian grain exports

Volodimir Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron They spoke by phone this Sunday about different aspects of the war in Ukraine and agreed on further cooperation to strengthen the security of grain exports, the Elysee reported in a statement.

The presidents of Ukraine and France addressed this issue in a phase of the conflict in which Russia is increasing attacks against Ukrainian ports and more generally against grain export infrastructure.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the target of some Russian drones was the port of Reni, on the Danube, next to the border with Romania, according to the Ukrainian authorities, some drones.

Russia refused in July to extend the agreement with Ukraine, sponsored by Turkey and the UN, to allow the export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Ukraine has shown its willingness to continue with grain shipments, both through the Black Sea and the Danube.

The Elysée explained that the two leaders also discussed kyiv’s counteroffensive to recover territory occupied by Moscow at a time when “the Ukrainian armed forces are registering the first successes.”

Macron reiterated “France’s determination to continue supporting Ukraine in the military, industrial and economic fields on a lasting basis so that Ukraine can regain its full sovereignty”.

With this objective, the two heads of state decided to launch talks on a bilateral agreement in order to offer security guarantees, as agreed by the G7 countries during the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

These guarantees, outside of the NATO format, are a way of assuring Kiev that it will continue to receive aid. “as long as it takes”even for years.

And at the same time send a message to Moscow that it knows that it cannot rely on a strategy of dragging out the war in the hope that Westerners will tire of supporting Ukraine.

Source: EFE