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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more air support to protect its routes for the passage of ships carrying grain.
“There is a deficit of air defense — that is no secret,” Zelenskyy told the Grain from Ukraine summit in Kyiv.
The food security summit was attended by several senior officials from European countries, including Swiss President Alain Berset and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
Zelenskyy said there were agreements in place with other countries to accompany vessels to protect them from damage from war.
“I have agreements with several countries about powerful accompaniment of convoys by Ukrainians, but using (foreign) equipment,” he said.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s sea ports as well as Danube river ports after Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Ukraine is one of the largest wheat exporters in the world, with both developing countries and developed countries relying on its exports.
Separately, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged support in a letter to Zelenskiy that she shared on social media platform X, saying the Commission would make
available 50 million euros for “quick repairs and upgrades of infrastructure in Ukraine’s ports.”
rm/sri (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)
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