Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday played down the importance of the first grain shipment from his country since Russia invaded, saying it was carrying a fraction of the crop Kyiv must sell to help salvage its shattered economy.
The first ship carrying desperately needed agricultural products since the war began more than five months ago passed through the Bosporus on Wednesday en route to Lebanon.
Zelenskyy’s downbeat comments came after an inspection of the ship was completed off Istanbul under a landmark deal struck last month in Istanbul aimed at easing a global food crisis.
The ship, Razoni, left Odessa on the Black Sea early on Monday carrying 26,527 tons of corn to the Lebanese port of Tripoli.
It followed the United Nations and Turkey-brokered grain and fertilizer export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv on July 22 – a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a drawn-out war of attrition.
The sides pledged to create safe Black Sea shipping corridors to export Ukraine’s agricultural products as Russia’s war upon its neighbor grinds on.
Zelenskyy, speaking via video to students in Australia, said through an interpreter that more time was needed to see whether other grain shipments would follow.
"Just recently, thanks to the U.N. in partnership with Turkey, we had a first ship with the delivery of grain, but it’s still nothing. But we hope it’s a tendency that will continue," he told the students.
He said Ukraine, one of the world’s top grain producers before the war and known as Europe’s bread basket, had to export a minimum of 10 million tons to urgently help bring down its budget deficit which was running at $5 billion a month.
'Killing the economy'
A senior Turkish official said three ships could leave Ukrainian ports daily following the Razoni’s departure, while Ukraine's infrastructure minister said 17 more ships had been loaded with agricultural produce and were waiting to set sail.
Ukraine’s forecast for its 2022 harvest has increased to 65 million-67 million tons of grain from 60 million tons, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.
In a Telegram message, he praised farmers for pressing ahead with the harvest, even in areas where shelling continues.
"The war ... is almost killing the economy. It’s in a coma," Zelenskyy said. "Russia’s blocking of the ports is a great loss for the economy."
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said Moscow may try to obstruct exports despite signing up for the deal.
Russia, which blockaded the ports after the Feb. 24 invasion, has said it wants to see more done about the exports of its own grain and fertilizers.
It has denied responsibility for the food crisis, saying sanctions by the West have slowed its exports.