Within hours, the European Commission lifted restrictions on the access of Ukrainian grain to the five nearby countries and Kiev announced a cargo ship in its port for the first time since Russia’s abandonment of the Black Sea Initiative, signs that there could potentially bring some relief to the distribution of products essential to global food security. On the military side, after several attacks by Ukrainian forces on warships and military targets in the Black Sea and Crimea, the Minister of Digital Transformation assured that the Russian fleet will shrink.
According to Brussels, in return for lifting the import ban, Kiev has “agreed to introduce legal measures” such as an export licensing system to prevent an increase in the flow of grain to neighboring EU member states. As long as these conditions, which will be monitored through the EU-Ukraine “Joint Coordination Platform” set up in June to monitor the situation, are met, the Commission will “refrain from imposing new restrictions” .
While Poland, Hungary and Slovakia reiterated their unilateral bans on Ukrainian grains, Romania wants to double the volume of its transit.
It is true that shortly after the Commission announced that it would not extend the temporary ban on imports of wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed, three of the five countries in question (Poland, Hungary and Slovakia) said they would take unilateral measures impose the ban on the import of Ukrainian grains, citing the defense of the market and farmers.
Conversely, not only will Bulgaria and Romania not act unilaterally, but Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu has stated that his country’s goal is to double the transit capacity of Ukrainian grain in the coming months, to four million tons per month.
While Brussels will have to agree with Warsaw, Budapest and Bratislava on the formula for the transport of grains through Europe, two cargo ships will sail to ports in the Odessa region and then take grains to the African and Asian markets.
The attacks are the first since mid-July, when Moscow withdrew from the UN deal and began attacking Ukraine’s port infrastructure. Last month, Kiev announced the creation of a ‘humanitarian corridor’ in the Black Sea to bypass the Russian blockade. Since then, five ships have used the corridor to leave Ukrainian ports, the last of which was on Friday. O Cougarwhich has been moored in Odessa since February 19, 2022, transports 16 thousand tons of metal and 14 thousand tons of rapeseed to the German port of Rostock.
In parallel with civilian maritime traffic, Ukraine has sought to deny Russian naval supremacy in the Black Sea. Despite having almost no navy, the country under occupation has launched a series of attacks in recent days that have resulted in serious damage to an amphibious assault ship, a submarine, both in Sevastopol’s dry dock; the destruction of air defense systems, including in Crimea; the capture of hydrocarbon platforms used as outposts by the Russians; and damage to two more patrol ships.
In an interview with Reuters, Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, is confident in the decisive role of Ukrainian drones – aerial and submarine – in that region: “There will be more drones, more attacks and fewer Russian ships. That’s for sure. “
Source: DN
