Ukraine proposes to expand the grain initiative to two more ports: Mykolayiv and Olviya. If this is implemented, Ukrainian grain will be exported from five ports - three in Odesa and two in Mykolayiv Region.
The extension proposal was announced at the G20 summit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said the grain initiative deserves an indefinite extension, stressing that the right to food is fundamental. Ukraine has exported more than 10 million tons of grain since July, and this number can be expanded by adding new ports to the initiative.
"The right to food is a fundamental right of every person in the world. Since July, Ukraine has exported over 10 million tons of food by sea. We can increase exports by several million tons per month. Thus for this, I propose to expand the grain export initiative to our other ports - in particular, to the ports of Mykolayiv and Olviya in Mykolayiv Region," Zelenskyy said.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine is working with supporter nations to fund new shipments of grain around the anniversary of the 1930s Holodomor famine. Officials are seeking funding and support for shipments that would be timed for the famine victims' commemoration.
The 120-day grain initiative, launched in July with the assistance of Turkey and the UN, expires in November. During this time, more than 10 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products were delivered to countries that needed them, including those on the verge of famine. In addition to sales, Ukraine also sent grain free of charge as humanitarian aid, for example, to Somalia and Ethiopia.