Charles Michel was in Odessa on Monday to meet the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denys Chmygal. A meeting disrupted by Russian missile strikes on this Ukrainian port city.
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Big fright for Charles Michel. On a surprise visit to Odessa, a large city in southern Ukraine, the President of the European Council was forced to take shelter on Monday May 9 due to missile strikes. According to an EU official, during a meeting between Michel and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Chmygal, “participants had to interrupt the meeting to take shelter because missiles hit the Odessa region again”.
our PM on the right pic.twitter.com/ZTdhmGYULI
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) May 9, 2022
Charles Michel for his part wrote on Twitter that he had come to Odessa to celebrate Europe Day. “You are not alone. The EU is on your side”he said, denouncing “Russian Aggression” against Ukraine, launched on 24 February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had a meeting by videoconference with Charles Michel, thanked him for his “courage” and his visit to Odessa, according to a press release from the presidency. “I would like to thank you for your political support, for your presence. For the fact that you see Ukraine in the near future equal to other members of the European family”underlined the Ukrainian president.
According to the European official, Michel also noted during this visit to Odessa “the impact of the Russian war on global supply chains”in particular as regards cereals, of which “many tons” are “blocked in the port due to the Russian blockade of the Black Sea”. This blockade “not only harms Ukraine’s economy, but also hinders the world’s access to vital food and jeopardizes global food security”, added this source. The Ukrainian President pointed out that Ukraine provides grain to 400 million people on the planet that the blocking of exports of its agricultural products is already leading to an increase in food prices in the world.