Ukraine secures grain corridor in Black Sea on its own - Stefanishyna

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna at a press conference at the European Commission's office in Vienna, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"You probably know that Ukraine has secured the grain corridor in the Black Sea on its own, not through an agreement between Türkiye, the UN and Russia. So, we have secured the grain corridor ourselves, and the grain ships have been released," the official said.

According to her, there is also a special insurance fund organized by the UK to ensure the functioning of this grain corridor.

"It's done. We have protected the Black Sea. We are moving forward. It will be a gradual process. But I think there is no other way to move forward," the deputy prime minister commented on the progress to victory.

She also pointed to progress in the implementation of the Ukrainian Formula for Peace, which is based on the UN Charter, while preserving Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. According to Stefanishyna, individual countries are contributing to the implementation of the Formula. "For example, China has already made a statement that nuclear safety is something where they can make every effort to avoid any destabilization. So we are gradually moving. In fact, Ukraine has made a big step in this direction," the official emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine has managed to secure a new humanitarian corridor for ships in the Black Sea. The movement of merchant ships to and from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea is taking place despite the shelling of port infrastructure by Russian troops.

An agreement to extend the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Agricultural Products through the Black Sea was signed by Ukraine, the United Nations, and Türkiye in July 2022. A similar agreement was signed by the UN, Türkiye and Russia.

On July 17, 2023, the Russian side sent its objections to the extension of the grain deal to Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UN and de facto terminated it.

On August 10, Ukraine announced new temporary routes for merchant ships sailing to/from Ukraine's Black Sea ports. These routes are primarily used to allow civilian vessels that have been in Ukraine's ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, to leave.

Global wheat prices began to decline as soon as the first ship with grain left one of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, for the first time since Russia announced its withdrawal from the grain deal.