WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2023) NATO will discuss how it can cooperate with the European Union to facilitate Ukraine's grain exports following the suspension of the Black Sea deal by Russia, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said on Wednesday, ahead of the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting in Brussels.
The ambassador-level meeting of the newly established Ukraine-NATO Council is set to convene on Wednesday at the urgent request of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and focus on the grain issue.
"We are going to think through whether or not individual allies should take additional steps or how NATO could work with the European Union that also plays a role here," Smith told reporters.
She expressed the hope that individual state members, particularly from the Black Sea region, would provide their own measures supporting grain export from Ukraine.
"We are going to hear from the Ukrainians themselves about their current assessment of how they intend or wish to continue to get grain out of Ukraine in light of Russia's announcement about its withdrawal (from the Black Sea Grain Initiative)," Smith said.
Smith criticized Russia for its refusal to extend the grain deal and threatening to attack commercial vessels with grain, saying that the move increased food insecurity across the globe.
The deal expired last week after Russia refused to extend it. Moscow has consistently complained that the deal's provisions pertaining to Russia were not being fulfilled and that most of the supplies were ending up in rich European countries.
On Monday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would replace Ukrainian grain on the market and continue to supply grain and fertilizers to African countries both on a commercial basis and free-of-charge, despite Western sanctions.
