Ukraine has sufficient grain reserves to meet domestic and global demand at least until the end of 2022, or even in 2023, but this requires a halt to all military action in the Black Sea. The adviser stated this to the President of Ukraine on economic issues Oleg Ustenko in a comment to the American newspaper Newsweek.
Russia wanted to use food as a weapon, among other things
Oleg Ustenko
According to the publication, Russian troops' blockade of Ukrainian ports does not allow Ukraine to sell surplus food abroad. Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian state exported more than 6 million tons of grain to the Black Sea every month. Now, due to port blockades, Ukraine has redirected exports via rail and road. But they have lower bandwidth than ports. For example, in April, the railway exported only 617 thousand tons of products.
The President's adviser notes that from the very beginning of the aggression, the Russian side planned to blockade Ukrainian ports to create a food crisis in the world to put as much pressure as possible on the West.
"They are playing different cards at the same time - energy, food, plus they are conducting their 'military operation' on our land and destroying infrastructure and destroying all our food supplies," he explained.
According to the President's adviser, Russia is currently firing on any ships in the Black Sea. But if a ceasefire is declared in the region, Ukraine will react quickly and grain ships will leave ports.
"If the fighting stops, we could do it almost immediately because we have access to the main ports," Oleg Ustenko said.
"I believe that the only way to bring grain to world markets is to stop the war or at least stop all military action in the Black Sea," he said.
