Thank you, Martin and Vera, for today’s briefing and for all the efforts to ensure Ukraine’s grain can reach the global market.
While we are eager to understand better the exact provisions of the agreement and how they will be implemented, the United States welcomes this deal and hopes that it will help mitigate the crisis Russia has caused.
Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield have publicly commended Secretary-General Guterres and Turkish President Erdoğan for their committed diplomatic efforts to mediate these discussions.
Martin, let me extend our recognition and appreciation – we know how hard you have worked and that this was not an easy endeavor. And this is only the beginning. Implementation could be equally if not more challenging, as Russia demonstrated by bombing Odesa the day after the agreement was signed.
While we believe the deal is a positive step, we will be watching closely to ensure that Russia actually follows through on commitments it has made and we will continue to hold Russia accountable for other actions it has taken to exacerbate the food crisis — including stealing grain and sabotaging and destroying Ukrainian farmland and agriculture infrastructure. We will also continue to work to expand other routes — via road, rail, or river.
We will continue to closely follow and help address the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia in Ukraine and in the region. We are hearing with great concern about the lack of access in Luhansk, where humanitarian agencies have not been allowed to operate.
We will also continue our financial investments and diplomatic efforts to help address the global food insecurity crisis. The United States has already provided more than $4.8 billion in new humanitarian assistance for food security since February.
Let me finish by underscoring what Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last Friday: “While the UN-brokered deal is a positive step, let’s be clear: there is only one way to solve the many food supply chain disruptions this conflict has caused. Russia must end its war.”
Thank you.
Original source can be found here.
