“At present, it is too early to draw conclusions and make predictions.” This was declared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, August 1, after the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports. “Let’s wait to see how the agreement will work and if security will really be guaranteed”, he continued during his daily video address. This recovery remains “insufficient to reassure importing countries”, estimated on franceinfo Gautier Le Molgat, deputy general manager of Agritel, a consulting firm specializing in agricultural and agro-industrial markets. Follow the situation in our live.
The Ukrainian president is cautious. For the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion, a boat loaded with 26,000 tons of corn, the Razoni, left Odessa, on the Black Sea, bound for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon. This is in line with a UN-supervised international agreement that aims to alleviate the global food crisis. “The port has become operational again, exports have resumed, we can say that this is a first positive signal that we will be able to stop the world food crisis”said the Ukrainian president.
The resumption of grain exports was unanimously welcomed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “warmly” welcomed this recovery. Moscow ruled “very positive” the departure of the cargo Razoni. During a 1h30 interview with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron assured that the “European efforts” will continue to help kyiv export its grain. The European Union and NATO welcomed the departure of the first ship and demanded the “full implementation” of the agreement.
Washington will send new weapons to Ukraine. The United States has announced that it will send new weapons to Ukrainian forces worth $550 million, including ammunition for increasingly important rocket launchers in the battle. That brings the total amount of military assistance given to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office to more than $8 billion, according to a White House spokesperson.